assassinate
verb
as·sas·si·nate
ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnāt 
assassinated; assassinating
1
: to murder (a usually prominent person) by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons
a plot to assassinate the governor
2
: to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously
assassinate a man's character
Examples of assassinate in a Sentence
They discovered a secret plot to assassinate the governor.
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Recent Examples on the Web
Israel appears to have taken the lead on assassinating even low-level figures linked to Iran’s nuclear program while systematically degrading the knowledge centers that could prove useful in the future.
—
Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
In September, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
In September, Charlie Kirk, Turning Point’s founder, had been assassinated by a gunman at Utah Valley University.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Iran’s supreme leader is now the cleric Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated late last month.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assassinate
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Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
In September, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
In September, Charlie Kirk, Turning Point’s founder, had been assassinated by a gunman at Utah Valley University.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Iran’s supreme leader is now the cleric Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated late last month.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assassinate
Cite this Entry
“Assassinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassinate. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
assassinate
verb
as·sas·si·nate
ə-ˈsas-ᵊn-ˌāt
assassinated; assassinating
: to murder a usually important person by a surprise or secret attack
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