Thesaurus results for SLAUGHTER

slaughter 1 of 2

noun

ˈslȯ-tər

Definition of slaughter

as in massacre

the killing of a large number of people all civilized nations should protest this senseless slaughter

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slaughter

2 of 2

verb

as in to massacre

to kill on a large scale modern poultry farms slaughter a vast number of chickens every day

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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 slaughter

Noun

But the slaughter is not painted as an unmitigated triumph for the Greeks. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026 He was appalled by the slaughter, but, more than that, by the complacency of his neighbors, their willingness to ignore the bloody work being done under their noses. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Verb

Deputies unlawfully confiscated Cedar, who was then slaughtered before his family ever had the chance to challenge the seizure in court. — Vanessa Shakib, Oc Register, 23 July 2026 Up to 182,000 Kurds were slaughtered by Hussein’s forces, including 5,000 in one day in the infamous chemical attack on Halabja on March 16, 1988. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for slaughter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaughter

Noun

Mortensen also opened up about how her life was impacted in the aftermath of the massacre.

— Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Although scarce documentation has left a wide range of estimates, as many as 2 million people are said to have been slaughtered in communal massacres during this exodus.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

Definition of massacre

Verb

The former husband of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of murdering her three young children, took the stand Monday as the prosecution’s first witness in her triple-murder trial.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
Bryan Kohberger declared his intention to withdraw his guilty plea on Monday, one year after he was convicted and sentenced for murdering four Idaho college students.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2026

Definition of murder

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slaty

slaughter

slaughtered

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“Slaughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaughter. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of slaughter

noun

verb

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