death penalty
noun
: death as punishment for a crime : capital punishment
—used with the
Prosecutors recommended the death penalty.
Examples of death penalty in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ohio resumed death penalties in 1999, and 56 people have since died by lethal injection in the state.
—
CBS News, 18 June 2026
Under Mexican law, the penalties for that crime are potentially greater than homicide — there is no death penalty in Mexico — and the judge opted for the disappearance offense.
—Steve Fisher, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
The murder through the use of a firearm charge carried a possible death penalty sentence.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
The state charge could also end in a death sentence, but North Carolina has had a de-facto moratorium on death penalties for nearly 20 years.
—Julia Coin
june 11, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
Alabama later ended the ability of a judge to disregard a jury’s sentencing decision in death penalty cases.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Brother could face death penalty Her brother remains in jail custody without bail.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026
While the ruling was a win for death penalty opponents fighting against the use of nitrogen gas, the court stopped short of granting Lee a stay of execution or attempting to banish the method altogether.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Alabama as an ‘outlier’ in death penalty statutes Only a handful of states ever allowed judicial override.
—Nina Giraldo, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
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CBS News, 18 June 2026
Under Mexican law, the penalties for that crime are potentially greater than homicide — there is no death penalty in Mexico — and the judge opted for the disappearance offense.
—Steve Fisher, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
The murder through the use of a firearm charge carried a possible death penalty sentence.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026
The state charge could also end in a death sentence, but North Carolina has had a de-facto moratorium on death penalties for nearly 20 years.
—Julia Coin
june 11, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
Alabama later ended the ability of a judge to disregard a jury’s sentencing decision in death penalty cases.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Brother could face death penalty Her brother remains in jail custody without bail.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026
While the ruling was a win for death penalty opponents fighting against the use of nitrogen gas, the court stopped short of granting Lee a stay of execution or attempting to banish the method altogether.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Alabama as an ‘outlier’ in death penalty statutes Only a handful of states ever allowed judicial override.
—Nina Giraldo, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Death penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20penalty. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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