assassination
noun
as·sas·si·na·tion
ə-ˌsa-sə-ˈnā-shən 
plural assassinations
1
: murder by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons : the act or an instance of assassinating someone (such as a prominent political leader)
the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
an assassination attempt
In medieval days, assassination by poisoning was common enough to alarm many a king, and protection was sought in the form of prayers, food tasters and science.—
The New York Times
The New York Times2
: treacherous destruction of a person's reputation
character assassination
Examples of assassination in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His father, the late Robert F. Kennedy, was a U.S. attorney general who went on to represent New York in the Senate until his 1968 assassination while running for the Democratic presidential nomination.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
Luigi Mangione Gets Date for New Hearing By Julian Ungar
neurologist
7
Ever since footage emerged of the assassination of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, his killer has been held up as a folk hero in a disturbing online trend.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Witkoff was with Trump during the apparent second assassination attempt on his life, telling NBC that Secret Service agents dived on Trump and got him off his Florida golf course in under 20 seconds.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
The Democratic senator from Massachusetts did not wait long to draw policy lessons from the heinous assassination that widowed Thompson’s spouse and deprived his two sons of a father.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024
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Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
Luigi Mangione Gets Date for New Hearing By Julian Ungar
neurologist
7
Ever since footage emerged of the assassination of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, his killer has been held up as a folk hero in a disturbing online trend.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Witkoff was with Trump during the apparent second assassination attempt on his life, telling NBC that Secret Service agents dived on Trump and got him off his Florida golf course in under 20 seconds.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
The Democratic senator from Massachusetts did not wait long to draw policy lessons from the heinous assassination that widowed Thompson’s spouse and deprived his two sons of a father.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for assassination
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Cite this Entry
“Assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassination. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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