slaying

noun

slay·​ing ˈslā-iŋ How to pronounce slaying (audio)
plural slayings
: the act of killing a person : killing, murder
used chiefly in journalistic writing
a gangland slaying
Sunday's slayings bring to 14 the number of killings this year in what police call gang-related attacks.Peter Stein
He is accused of ordering the 1989 slayings and robberies of three drug dealers …Joseph P. Fried

Examples of slaying in a Sentence

a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery
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.
The slaying happened one week after the funeral of Deputy Isaiah Cordero, 32, who was fatally shot Dec. 29, 2022, during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025 Meagan Ann Dixon, 44, is charged with murder, child endangerment and multiple counts of cruelty to animals in connection to the slayings, Sutter County Superior Court records show. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025 Anthony Regis-Ash went on the run after shooting 18-year-old Sharif Richards as the teen sat in an Infiniti in Canarsie, leaving his girlfriend behind to face murder charges in the Sept. 29, 2021, slaying, prosecutors in Brooklyn said. John Annese, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2025 Authorities said there were several people in and around the trailer where the slayings happened. Teri Figueroa, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for slaying 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near slaying

Cite this Entry

“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slaying. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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