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.
The Blue Jackets killed off the final seconds of regulation, but the Panthers started overtime with a four-on-three advantage. Aaron Portzline, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025 Cataclysmic events have taken place five times in the past 500 million years, killing off most species from water and land over a relatively short geological interval. Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025 Shortly after her character was killed off, she was invited to guest star as an alternate version of Laurel, the Black Siren, on spinoff series Flash. John Russell, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025 The former saw 50 percent of all genera and 19 percent of all families become extinct, while the latter killed off some 60 percent of genera and nearly 85 percent of species in the world's oceans. David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 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 Words

Cite this Entry

“Kill off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kill%20off. Accessed 25 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!