slaying

noun

slay·​ing ˈslā-iŋ How to pronounce slaying (audio)
plural slayings
: the act of killing a person : killing, murder
used chiefly in journalistic writing
a gangland slaying
Sunday's slayings bring to 14 the number of killings this year in what police call gang-related attacks.Peter Stein
He is accused of ordering the 1989 slayings and robberies of three drug dealers …Joseph P. Fried

Examples of slaying in a Sentence

a man wanted for the slaying of seven people during an armed robbery
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.
Some investigators also believe he was involved in the slaying of 8-year-old Ann Marie Burr, who went missing on Aug. 31, 1961, near the University of Puget Sound. Jessica Sager, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025 In 2018, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Misch, who was in prison on an 18-years-to-life sentence in another slaying, with killing the two women, police said. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 22 Jan. 2025 Joseph Menendez, who goes by his middle name Lyle, and younger brother, Erik Menendez, have been in California prisons since 1996, serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole for their parents' 1989 slayings. Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 18 Jan. 2025 The high-profile slaying and James’ novel help explain the public’s fascination with political violence, and even more about the psychological guessing game that accompanies those extreme acts. Max Chapnick, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for slaying 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slaying was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near slaying

Cite this Entry

“Slaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slaying. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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