murder 1 of 2

Definition of murdernext

murder

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word murder distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of murder are assassinate, dispatch, execute, kill, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When could assassinate be used to replace murder?

Although the words assassinate and murder have much in common, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When might dispatch be a better fit than murder?

The words dispatch and murder can be used in similar contexts, but dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

Where would execute be a reasonable alternative to murder?

In some situations, the words execute and murder are roughly equivalent. However, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

When would kill be a good substitute for murder?

While in some cases nearly identical to murder, kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

When is it sensible to use slay instead of murder?

While the synonyms slay and murder are close in meaning, slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

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 murder
Noun
Over the last 35 years, the Arlington County Police Department has led the investigation into Sandra’s murder, receiving help from various agencies, including the FBI. Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026 Crows roost on its dilapidated shingles and fly off simultaneously, like a choreographed murder. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
Rausch allowed his fellow traitor Dillard Bassett to choose whom to murder, as a show of good faith amid the tension between the two. Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Feb. 2026 After eight episodes, six banishments (both failed and successful), and one controversial blue sweater, Colton Underwood was officially murdered on The Traitors, thus ending the time of one of Season 4’s most controversial contestants. Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for murder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murder
Noun
  • But Brontë’s novel is an eternal nightmare, one that has haunted readers for two centuries.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
  • This system, that supposed to take care of people and protect them, all of a sudden becomes a nightmare.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
  • This is the second mass homicide in British Columbia in less than a year.
    Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September while speaking at a Utah university, established Turning Point USA in 2012 to encourage young people to engage in free speech and advocate for conservative policies.
    Cate Charron, IndyStar, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Harry Jacobs, who was recently named head of the office's criminal division, was also involved in the prosecution of Vance Boelter, the man accused of assassinating former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.
    Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The attempt to create a viable and vibrant residential hub arrives after years of neglect and fumbled strategies by the prior owner, an affiliate of real estate firm Z&L Properties.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The Blue Demons’ guard panicked, fumbling the ball, and Fudd read her perfectly.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Legal cases in Spain Concerns over Rodríguez Torres’ human-rights record have also reached Spanish courts, where a group of Venezuelan exiles filed a criminal complaint accusing him of torture and crimes against humanity.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The city faces over 40 lawsuits alleging Guevara falsified evidence, extracted confessions through torture and lied to wrongfully put dozens of Chicagoans behind bars.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • What led to Cruz’s slaying years later is not immediately clear.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The slaying dramatized the perils faced by journalists in Mexico, where scores have been slain in recent years.
    Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The event paid fitting tribute to the recent passing of actress Catherine O’Hara, who slayed in the 2000 film Best in Show.
    Greg Cote February 8, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
  • The slaying dramatized the perils faced by journalists in Mexico, where scores have been slain in recent years.
    Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • There was a short pursuit on the freeway, which ended when a tire blew on the SUV.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Taubitz remains the one to beat, but after her teammate faltered on her third run, the medal competition was blown open.
    Sean Nevin, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Murder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murder. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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