assassination

noun

as·sas·si·na·tion ə-ˌsa-sə-ˈnā-shən

plural assassinations

: murder by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons : the act or an instance of assassinating someone (such as a prominent political leader)

the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

an assassination attempt

In medieval days, assassination by poisoning was common enough to alarm many a king, and protection was sought in the form of prayers, food tasters and science.—

The New York Times

: treacherous destruction of a person's reputation

character assassination

Examples of assassination in a Sentence

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.

Musk chose to endorse Trump after the first assassination attempt in July. —

Asher Notheis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Jan. 2025 The red carpet event will close out a year that saw Trump survive two assassination attempts - including one at his nearby West Palm Beach golf club - before being elected president. —

Antonio Fins, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024 The election itself — peaking on Nov. 5 — and the Pennsylvania assassination attempt targeting Donald Trump were runners-up. —

Noah Bressner, Axios, 31 Dec. 2024 Prosecutors believe Routh had planned the assassination attempt for weeks near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course. —

The Deadline Team, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for assassination