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painkiller
noun
pain·kill·er
ˈpān-ˌki-lər
variants
or less commonly pain-killer
: something (such as a drug) that relieves pain
Examples of painkiller in a Sentence
I took some over-the-counter painkillers for my headache.
after her oral surgery, she was given a prescription for a mild painkiller
Recent Examples on the Web
The Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, the maker of the addictive painkiller oxycontin, have reached a $7.4 billion settlement with a bipartisan coalition of 15 states for fueling the opioid crisis, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday.
—Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2025
Though the series went on to cast a new Darrin Stephens, York remained bedridden for months and struggled with an addiction to painkillers, per a recent documentary about the series.
—Justine Fisher, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025
Walgreens Boots Alliance — The pharmacy stock declined more than 9% after the U.S. Justice Department filed a nationwide lawsuit against the company, alleging that Walgreens knowingly filled unlawful prescriptions for opioids and other highly addictive painkillers.
—Hakyung Kim, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2025
But painkillers, antibiotics and medicine for chronic diseases like diabetes are impossible to find.
—Abu Bakr Bashir, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1849, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near painkiller
Cite this Entry
“Painkiller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painkiller. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on painkiller
Nglish: Translation of painkiller for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of painkiller for Arabic Speakers
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