assassinate

verb

as·sas·si·nate ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnāt

assassinated; assassinating

Synonyms of assassinate next

transitive verb

: to murder (a usually prominent person) by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons

a plot to assassinate the governor

: to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously

assassinate a man's character

assassinator

ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnā-tər

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for assassinate

kill, slay, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute mean to deprive of life.

kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident

frost killed the plants

slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Examples of assassinate in a Sentence

They discovered a secret plot to assassinate the governor. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Indeed, in Jordan, Palestinians assassinated a king and attempted to overthrow the government. —

Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025 Mujibur Rahman and most of his family were assassinated at the house in 1975. —

Reuters, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2025 On April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, while demonstrating support for — and solidarity with — garbage collection workers. —

Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 That same day in New York City, a man equipped with a homemade gun allegedly assassinated the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a sidewalk. —

Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for assassinate