kill off

verb

killed off; killing off; kills off
Synonyms of kill offnext

transitive verb

: to destroy in large numbers or totally

Examples of kill off in a Sentence

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.
Pine seduced Roper away from Corky [Roper’s fixer, played by Tom Hollander, who was killed off in season one]. Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026 Shortly after Methuen/Tewksbury killed off one of its penalties, its forecheck generated a turnover in HPNA’s zone that Ella Duffy scooped at the left wall and sent to Emily Barbosa at the left point. Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026 Moments after Minnesota killed off a Quinn Hughes penalty less than three minutes later, Hughes nearly restored the Wild's two-goal lead, but he was stopped by Cooley on a breakaway. CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026 Tech products get killed off all the time to make way for something better; Apple no longer sells the iPhone 4. Patrick George, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kill off

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kill off was in 1607

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Cite this Entry

“Kill off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kill%20off. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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