plural slayings
: the act of killing a person : killing, murder
—used chiefly in journalistic writing
a gangland slaying
Sunday's slayings bring to 14 the number of killings this year in what police call gang-related attacks.—
Peter Stein
Peter SteinHe is accused of ordering the 1989 slayings and robberies of three drug dealers …—Joseph P. Fried
Joseph P. FriedExamples of slaying in a Sentence
a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery
Recent Examples on the Web
The new initiative came after a string of killings in bodegas, including two slayings in 48 hours in April.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 2 Aug. 2025
Luther Brown, 53, was convicted by a San Diego Superior Court jury along with Brendan Conrad Doyle, 27, of murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the October 2020 strangulation slaying of 65-year-old Laura Doyle.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2025
The Context Zakrzewski, an Air Force veteran, was sentenced to die for the 1994 slayings of his wife Sylvia Zakrzewski, son Edward Zakrzewski, 7, and Anna Zakrzewski, 5.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
The new documents shed light on the brutality of the slayings, details about the days and weeks that led to the murders, and the extensive pool of evidence investigators gathered against Kohberger.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for slaying
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Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 2 Aug. 2025
Luther Brown, 53, was convicted by a San Diego Superior Court jury along with Brendan Conrad Doyle, 27, of murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the October 2020 strangulation slaying of 65-year-old Laura Doyle.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2025
The Context Zakrzewski, an Air Force veteran, was sentenced to die for the 1994 slayings of his wife Sylvia Zakrzewski, son Edward Zakrzewski, 7, and Anna Zakrzewski, 5.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
The new documents shed light on the brutality of the slayings, details about the days and weeks that led to the murders, and the extensive pool of evidence investigators gathered against Kohberger.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Cite this Entry
“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slaying. Accessed 9 Aug. 2025.
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