murderer

noun

mur·​der·​er ˈmər-dər-ər How to pronounce murderer (audio)
Synonyms of murderernext
: one who murders
especially : one who commits the crime of murder

Synonyms

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Examples of murderer in a Sentence

the murderer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole
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.
If Hamas does not release all the hostages, the gates of hell will open in Gaza, and Hamas' murderers and rapists will face the IDF with unprecedented force. — James Hider, NPR, 17 Mar. 2025 In real life, the probability of a nurse being a murderer in disguise, though not zero, was low, and Lilian did not believe that such a sensational turn was likely to occur to her. — Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025 Last year’s Heretic is the latest — a chilling A24 horror directed by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck in which Grant stars as an anti-religious murderer. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2025 Over the past four years, 21 million people poured into the United States, many of them were murderers, human traffickers, gang members, and other criminals from the streets of dangerous cities all throughout the world because of Joe Biden's insane and very dangerous open border policies. — CBS News, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for murderer

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of murderer was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing murderer

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“Murderer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murderer. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Legal Definition

murderer

noun
mur·​der·​er ˈmər-dər-ər How to pronounce murderer (audio)
: a person who commits murder

More from Merriam-Webster on murderer

Nglish: Translation of murderer for Spanish Speakers

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