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executioner
noun
ex·e·cu·tion·er
ˌek-si-ˈkyü-sh(ə-)nər
: one who executes
especially
: one who puts to death
Examples of executioner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But they were not lost at all, but rather executioners who shot and killed Sarah.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972) Blue Eye Samurai owes a debt to countless stories of wandering warriors, among them Lone Wolf and Cub, in which a shōgun’s executioner turned outcast wanders the countryside with his toddler son (and a baby cart rigged with weapons).
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2024
Iran, one of the world’s top executioners, typically hangs condemned prisoners before sunrise.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, Undertaker plays the omnipotent executioner who can’t quite get Michaels to the chopping block.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1536, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near executioner
Cite this Entry
“Executioner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executioner. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
executioner
noun
ex·e·cu·tion·er
ˌek-sə-ˈkyü-sh(ə-)nər
: a person who carries out a sentence of death
Legal Definition
executioner
noun
ex·e·cu·tion·er
ˌek-si-ˈkyü-shə-nər
: one who puts another to death in fulfillment of a judicial death sentence
More from Merriam-Webster on executioner
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for executioner
Nglish: Translation of executioner for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of executioner for Arabic Speakers
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