killed; killing; kills
1
a
: to deprive of life : cause the death of
a disease that has killed thousands
He threatened to kill them.
b(1)
: to slaughter (an animal) for food
(2)
: to convert a food animal into (a kind of meat) by slaughtering
2
a
: to put an end to
kill competition
a change that could kill our chances for success
c
: to mark for omission
d
: annihilate, destroy
kill an enemy
3
a
: to destroy the vital or essential quality of
killed the pain with drugs
b
: to cause to stop
kill the motor
c
: to check the flow of current through
kill the lights
4
: to make a markedly favorable impression on
she killed the audience
5
: to get through uneventfully
kill time
also
: to get through (the time of a penalty) without being scored on
kill a penalty
6
a
: to cause extreme pain to
My back is killing me.
b
: to tire almost to the point of collapse
has been killing herself to get the project done on time
7
: to hit (a shot) so hard in various games that a return is impossible
killed a backhand down the line
8
: to consume (something, such as a drink) totally
… killed his drink and held out the glass.—
W. L. Gresham
W. L. Greshamkilled two bottles of wine over dinner
1
: to cause the death of a person, animal, or plant
a murderer who may kill again
an herbicide that kills on contact
if looks could kill
2
: to make a markedly favorable impression
was dressed to kill
1
a
: an act or instance of killing
an animal moving in for the kill
b
: a decisive act that conclusively secures something (such as a deal or win)
2
: something killed: such as
a(1)
: an animal shot in a hunt
(2)
: animals killed in a hunt, season, or particular period of time
b
: an enemy unit (such as an airplane or ship) destroyed by military action
c
: a return shot in any of various games (such as badminton, handball, or table tennis) that is too hard for an opponent to handle
often capitalized
Synonyms
Examples of kill in a Sentence
Verb
The disease has killed thousands of people.
Three people were killed in the accident.
a chemical that kills weeds
a disease that can kill
taking drugs to kill the pain
Despite protests, the mayor killed the program.
The committee killed the bill.
This delay has killed our chances of finishing the project on schedule.
She told him to kill the lights.
Recent Examples on the Web
John Spencer, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
The version of the virus detected in San Mateo County lies at the center of an outbreak that has killed more than 1,000 people this year in Central and Eastern Africa, with most of those cases being in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024
For predators, who must constantly act as agents of death in order to survive, each kill is a chance to learn more about death—but so is each failure.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kill 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Finally, as is obvious to most observers, Israel cannot kill its way out of the threat posed by Hamas and other armed Palestinian factions.
—John Spencer, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
The version of the virus detected in San Mateo County lies at the center of an outbreak that has killed more than 1,000 people this year in Central and Eastern Africa, with most of those cases being in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
Noun
Kennedy Whyte, Monte Vista volleyball: Had 19 kills, five digs and three aces in the first round of the NCS playoffs against Northgate.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024
For predators, who must constantly act as agents of death in order to survive, each kill is a chance to learn more about death—but so is each failure.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kill
Dictionary Entries Near kill
Cite this Entry
“Kill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kill. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kill
1 of 2 verb1
: to deprive of life : cause the death of
2
a
: to put an end to : ruin
that killed our chances
b
: defeat entry 1 sense 1
the committee killed the bill
c
: to stop the use or functioning of
kill the lights
d
: delete
kill the last line
3
: to cause to pass
just killing time
4
: to use up completely
killed two cartons of milk
kill
2 of 2 noun1
: an act of killing
2
: an animal killed
a lion devouring its kill
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