kill 1 of 2

verb

ˈkil How to pronounce kill (audio)
Definition of killnext
1
as in to destroy
to deprive of life during the war more soldiers were killed by disease than anything else

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dismiss
to reject by or as if by a vote the Senate killed the bill by a single vote

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to delete
to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it I think that paragraph is irrelevant, so kill it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to wear
to use up all the physical energy of the long hike up the mountain just about killed us

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to fascinate
to attract or delight as if by magic with his dark good looks he would positively kill the ladies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to deactivate
to cause to stop functioning kill the engine before it overheats

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

kill

2 of 2

noun

1
as in victim

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in race

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word kill distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of kill are assassinate, dispatch, execute, murder, and slay. While all these words 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

In what contexts can assassinate take the place of kill?

While in some cases nearly identical to kill, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When would dispatch be a good substitute for kill?

While the synonyms dispatch and kill are close in meaning, dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When is it sensible to use execute instead of kill?

The meanings of execute and kill largely overlap; however, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Where would murder be a reasonable alternative to kill?

The synonyms murder and kill are sometimes interchangeable, but murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When might slay be a better fit than kill?

In some situations, the words slay and kill are roughly equivalent. However, slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of kill
Verb
McDowell was charged with killing 42-year-old Darnell Parker on Jan. 15 at an apartment on the 9400 block of International Boulevard in East Oakland, court records show. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025 An unknown individual also shot and killed a 2-year-old sea lion at Bolsa Chica State Beach on Aug. 7. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
In the second period, the B’s had an opportunity to go by three on a penalty kill after a bad John Beecher offensive zone stick penalty. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2025 Pacifica, 25-18, 25-20, 25-17 Foot: Thorne 8 kills. —Ocvarsity Sports Staff, Orange County Register, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kill
  1. destroy
  2. dismiss
  3. delete
  4. wear
  5. fascinate
  6. deactivate
  7. victim
  8. race
Verb
  • Residents of states that have been impacted by this weekend's storms have posted photos online showing their homes destroyed by the tornadoes, with roofs fallen completely off, walls caved in and debris on lawns.
    — Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Taking on the role of a teenage boy named Chrono, players have to travel through time and assemble a team to stop a horrifying creature named Lavos from destroying the world.
    — Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • At the time, Putin demanded that Ukraine never be allowed into NATO, and that the bloc roll back its military footprint in Eastern and Central Europe – which the US and its allies dismissed as non-starters, condemning the invasion as a blatant land grab.
    — Catherine Nicholls, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Mearsheimer also dismissed the idea, adding that Russia would take extreme measures to prevent it from happening.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • As the company promotes generative AI to the public, Redmond accidentally introduced a software bug last week that can delete the Copilot program from PCs running Windows 10 or 11.
    — Michael Kan, PCMAG, 17 Mar. 2025
  • But Rozier is also trying not to let the outside noise affect him, temporarily deleting Instagram and some of his other social media accounts.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of delete
Verb
  • Her pieces, worn by the likes of Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, and Oprah Winfrey, provide an intimate look at the artistry behind some of Hollywood’s most powerful Black narratives.
    — Okla Jones, Essence, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Bieber, who is an ambassador for the French fashion house, attended the show wearing her dark hair pulled up in an easy, cool twist styled by Bryce Scarlett.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of wear
Verb
  • Their affair gives poignant momentum to The Deepest Breath, which is fascinated with athletic obsession.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The grand monuments, enigmatic gods, and legendary rulers of Ancient Egypt have fascinated the world for centuries.
    — David Nikel, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of fascinate
Verb
  • Mayo deactivated his Instagram account last month after the Jayhawks lost to Houston in double-overtime.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Its website was shut down last month, email accounts deactivated and USAID's Washington, D.C., headquarters were occupied by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of deactivate
Noun
  • Authorities struggled to identify and process all of the victims.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Paying ransoms does not guarantee a return to normal business operations, and 35% of victims who paid a ransom, according to the in-house analysis of data, either did not receive decryption keys or received corrupted keys.
    — Davey Winder, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of victim
Noun
  • Victory there would blow the Serie A title race wide open.
    — Adam Digby, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • He has since been focused on his role at DOGE and has not yet been as personally involved in the Wisconsin race.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of race

Phrases Containing kill

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Cite this Entry

“Kill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kill. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on kill

Nglish: Translation of kill for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kill

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