Synonym Chooser

How is the word assassinate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of assassinate are dispatch, execute, kill, murder, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When might dispatch be a better fit than assassinate?

The words dispatch and assassinate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When can execute be used instead of assassinate?

Although the words execute and assassinate have much in common, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

When would kill be a good substitute for assassinate?

The meanings of kill and assassinate largely overlap; however, kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

When is murder a more appropriate choice than assassinate?

The synonyms murder and assassinate are sometimes interchangeable, but murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When could slay be used to replace assassinate?

The words slay and assassinate can be used in similar contexts, but slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of assassinate The desire to recreate that era is fueled by Trump’s fondness for tariffs and his admiration for the nation’s 25th president, William McKinley, a Republican who was in office from 1897 until being assassinated in 1901. Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 Read More Trump supporter accused of plotting to assassinate Trump at CA rally. Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025 While speaking to news outlets, Bianco wrongly accused Miller of plotting to assassinate Trump, defaming him as a result, the complaint says. Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 13 Mar. 2025 Calling for the impeachment of judges who rule against the president – as President Donald Trump’s adviser Elon Musk and several Republican lawmakers have recently – may seem a far cry from attempting to assassinate a Supreme Court justice. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assassinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assassinate
Verb
  • Just ask Davinci Leonard, who’s accused of murdering two teenagers at the Westgate Mall Saturday night.
    Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Cordelia Cupp arrives at the White House tasked with solving whether chief usher A.B. Wynter (an impactful Giancarlo Esposito who stepped in for the late Andre Braugher) killed himself or was murdered during a state dinner.
    Ronda Racha Penrice, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • That film’s prescient plot caught a lot of folks’ attention in December, when real-life United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was slain on a New York City sidewalk, allegedly by 26-year-old Jigsaw wannabe Luigi Mangione.
    Benjamin Svetkey and Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The number of people slain so far in 2025: 74. Chicago homicides, by year Data for 2025 is updated through March 12, 2025.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Rather than simply verifying identity and granting access, an autonomous system can detect threats in real-time, analyze behaviors, and execute a tailored response—without waiting for human intervention.
    Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Mahdi, who pleaded guilty to murder for killing a police officer in 2004, is scheduled to be executed April 11.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The last stop on that tour is the Yellow Oval Room, where A.B. was killed.
    Max Gao, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
  • At least 30 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah and Khan Younis so far on Sunday, health authorities said.
    Nidal al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assassinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assassinate. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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