mercy killing

noun

Definition of mercy killingnext
as in murder
the act of ending the life of someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any further suffering Some called her death a mercy killing.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of mercy killing For the rest of us, sudden death felt like a mercy killing. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026 More secrets emerge, Chappelle says there’s no time to explain, even mercy killing the dog. — Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2025 Too much damage has been done to the character in recent years, to the point that any death would be seen as a mercy killing now. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 6 May 2026 The doctor carried out the mercy killing with her family’s consent and support. — Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2019 If the mercy killing wasn’t a big enough of a twist, the introduction of three outsiders who stumble upon the girls’ cannibalistic feast will do it. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025 While this was a funeral rite for some in the Roman period, the researchers think the man was decapitated as a mercy killing after the lion bite. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025 Kelson teaches Spike how to grow beyond his parents, giving Isla a mercy killing and allowing Spike to place her skull on the top of the structure. — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercy killing
  1. murder
  2. homicide
  3. massacre
  4. assisted suicide
Noun
  • Diaz, 52, suffered burns to her arm and stomach while trying to incinerate the car and was soon charged with Lopez’s murder, according to a court transcript and a criminal complaint.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • His son, Nick Reiner, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents.
    — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of murder
Noun
  • Police in Georgia recovered some of Warren's property and other items relevant to the homicide investigation a few days later, discarded behind a Cracker Barrel restaurant, according to prosecutors.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • Nocturne tells the story of Jonah Lynn (Schreiber), an ex-soldier turned homicide detective who, tired of working the tough streets of Philadelphia, moves to a small town in Western Pennsylvania for a quiet life.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 7 July 2026
Definition of homicide
Noun
  • Athalia’s family returned home a few days after the massacre.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
  • The issue has been particularly salient for low-income families living near fields of coca, the shrub used to make cocaine, as human rights organizations documented more than 50 massacres in Colombia just this year.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Definition of massacre
Noun
  • As the family's struggle unfolded, Castillo’s case was closely followed in Spain, which passed legislation in 2021 enshrining the right to euthanasia and medically assisted suicide for patients meeting certain conditions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • OpenAI and the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, were named as defendants in several lawsuits that allege negligence, assisted suicide, involuntary manslaughter, wrongful death, and other product liability claims.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
Definition of assisted suicide

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Cite this Entry

“Mercy killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercy%20killing. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mercy killing

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mercy killing

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