as in murder
the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life
a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in killing
to deprive of life
millions have been slain worldwide by this dreadful disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murdering
to put to death deliberately
vowed to slay without mercy whoever was responsible for murdering his family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slaying
Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Lumpkin’s daughter, Alisha Keeney, who was 12 when her father was bludgeoned to death, told the court her mother had not served enough time for the brutal slaying.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 27 Dec. 2025
Now, the roles are reversed and he’s tasked with slaying the giant.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Noun
As in the first trial, Dominguez faces first-degree and second-degree murder charges in Breaux’s killing, and a second-degree murder charge in the slaying of Najm, a graduating UC Davis student.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Lumpkin’s daughter, Alisha Keeney, who was 12 when her father was bludgeoned to death, told the court her mother had not served enough time for the brutal slaying.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Imagine our surprise when the new South Florida resident popped up at the Sports Illustrated show at Miami Swim Week in June, slaying the catwalk like a boss.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 27 Dec. 2025
Now, the roles are reversed and he’s tasked with slaying the giant.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slaying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaying
Noun
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Tucker's defense attorney argued she was intoxicated during the crime, but she was found guilty of capital murder.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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Bush was charged with murder, home invasion and criminal possession of a firearm.—
Naveen Dhaliwal,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An unknown assailant shoots up the Vances' house during a Shabbat meal, before killing himself with a cyanide cigarette.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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The measure passed, 363–117, killing the death penalty in France.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What happened Israel’s parliament on Monday gave final approval to legislation that makes death by hanging the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis.—
Peter Weber,
TheWeek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Israel’s parliament approved death penalty by hanging for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, making capital punishment the default sentence in military courts.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The driver in the Philadelphia crash was later charged with DUI homicide.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The medical examiner determined Moore’s cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death to be homicide.—
Kathryn Kovalenko,
Twin Cities,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Will Trump adopt Putin-style tactics by destroying power plants or even desalination plants in what could amount to an attack on the beleaguered Iranian people themselves?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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In the weeks since, fears of a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon have grown, with Israel moving to establish a buffer zone in the area, leveling homes and destroying bridges over the Litani River, which connects the south to the rest of Lebanon, while taking control of what crossings remain.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative icon Charlie Kirk, have revealed who prosecutors intend to call to the stand and also asked the court to delay the preliminary hearing.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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Hezbollah, for the longest time, was strong-arming other parties, and they are accused of assassinating a former Prime Minister.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Police detained a man after executing the search warrant.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The company cited rules against apps executing unreviewed code.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaying. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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