1
: the act of one that kills
2
3
: a sudden notable gain or profit
made a killing in the stock market
1
: that kills or relates to killing
2
: highly amusing
3
: extremely difficult to deal with
the suspense is killing
also
: calling for great strength, stamina, or endurance
a killing schedule
Synonyms of killing
Relevance
Adjective
Examples of killing in a Sentence
Noun
The oil spill is responsible for the killing of thousands of birds.
Adjective
he's usually quiet, but occasionally unleashes some killing remark that cracks everyone up
a killing schedule that requires the touring company to play in a different city every night
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
6 July 2026
Rachel Morin murder Othram also played a role in the investigation into the killing of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five whose body was found near the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air in August 2023.
—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2026
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
The anti-trapping, anti-killing anything movement has also taken a toll.
—
John Schandelmeier,
Anchorage Daily News,
8 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for killing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
News of his death – one example of the political violence roiling America in recent years – quickly went global, with graphic videos flooding social media and politicians on both sides of the aisle swiftly condemning the killing.
—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
6 July 2026
Rachel Morin murder Othram also played a role in the investigation into the killing of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five whose body was found near the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air in August 2023.
—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2026
Adjective
When forces from his past come for revenge, Mark needs to get himself out of the bind without killing anyone and ruining his non-killing streak.
—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
The anti-trapping, anti-killing anything movement has also taken a toll.
—
John Schandelmeier,
Anchorage Daily News,
8 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for killing
Cite this Entry
“Killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killing. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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