kill off

verb

killed off; killing off; kills off

transitive verb

: to destroy in large numbers or totally

Examples of kill off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
New York killed off the penalty, generating a short-handed rush, and Rempe then drew a penalty later in the period. Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 The Frost were 52 seconds from killing off the penalty when Toronto’s Emma Maltais beat Maddie Rooney on a wrist shot from the slot to tie the game. Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2025 Hugh Jackman agreed to appear as Wolverine—even after the character was killed off in an earlier film—opposite Ryan Reynolds in last year's Deadpool & Wolverine. Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025 The Sharks came close to killing off a double minor to Carl Grundstrom before Brendan Gallagher scored at the 2:40 mark of the third period to give Montreal a 3-2 lead. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kill off

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kill off was in 1607

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Kill off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kill%20off. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on kill off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!