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.
The brutal slaying appeared to have unfolded in the heat of an argument, investigators say. Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 18 Dec. 2024 New evidence:Gilgo Beach suspect charged in more slayings; new info called a 'blueprint' to kill Valerie Mack identified nearly 2 decades after death Three people out hunting in Manorville discovered human remains on Nov. 19, 2000, when their dog alerted them to a black plastic bag. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024 Radical commenters praised the slaying and condemned the witnesses who spotted him at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald's and called 911. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 16 Dec. 2024 Authorities in Massachusetts have arrested a Boston-area man in connection with a murder-for-hire-plot in the 1992 slaying of an Army soldier, officials said Monday. Antonio Planas, NBC News, 16 Dec. 2024 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 Dec. 2024.

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