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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dispatch distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of dispatch are assassinate, execute, kill, murder, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When might assassinate be a better fit than dispatch?

While the synonyms assassinate and dispatch are close in meaning, assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When could execute be used to replace dispatch?

The synonyms execute and dispatch are sometimes interchangeable, but execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Where would kill be a reasonable alternative to dispatch?

In some situations, the words kill and dispatch are roughly equivalent. 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 it sensible to use murder instead of dispatch?

The words murder and dispatch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When is slay a more appropriate choice than dispatch?

The meanings of slay and dispatch largely overlap; however, 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 dispatch
Verb
The investigation began when CT were dispatched to Stop and Shop on Fenn Road on Oct. 28, 2024 to check the welfare of an adult female, police said. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 20 Jan. 2025 This included dispatching his pick for special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, to exert pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move forward with the deal. Laura Kelly, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
The department encouraged anyone who sees a mountain lion to contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife, or call 911 to have dispatch connect you to someone at the wildlife agency. Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 13 Jan. 2025 The app pulls its wildfire information from official government reports, volunteer reporters, and 911 dispatch calls which are then vetted and monitored using radio scanners, wildlife cameras, satellites, and local announcements from law enforcement and fire services. Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for dispatch 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispatch
Verb
  • The Night Agent upped the ante in its second outing, with Peter becoming enmeshed in a chemical weapons threat and (gulp) unwittingly swaying a presidential election that sends his moral compass spinning.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Jan. 2025
  • The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Newsweek on Tuesday that none of the deportees sent from the U.S. to Colombia in the first batch of repatriation flights under the new Trump administration had criminal records in either country, with their sole offense being in the U.S. illegally.
    Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Moments later, she was killed….This child lost his mother and father in mere seconds.
    Zeena Saifi, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Teen shooter kills student, then himself at Nashville high school In: South Carolina Lucia Suarez Sang Lucia Suarez Sang is an associate managing editor at CBSNews.com.
    Lucia Suarez Sang, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Garfield was assassinated by a disgruntled and delusional office-seeker named Charles Guiteau.
    Mo Rocca, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2025
  • The mountain’s name will revert to Mount McKinley, named for William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, who was assassinated on September 14, 1901.
    Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • United defeated Southampton 3-1 on Thursday night thanks to Amad’s late hat-trick to move Amorim’s side up to 12th in the Premier League, but the visitors — who are 10 points from safety — caused them plenty of problems.
    Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
  • But the white population usually defeats the preferred candidate of Black voters.
    Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • What To Know Panama has reportedly submitted a formal letter to the U.N. rejecting Trump's statement about reclaiming the canal.
    Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The petition came after the brothers’ attorney submitted new evidence, including a letter purportedly written by Erik Menendez to his cousin, which alludes to alleged abuse uncovered by Robert Rand, a journalist who covered the case since its inception and author of The Menendez Murders.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Additionally, campaigns were grounded in scientific evidence, conveying the message that while no tobacco product is completely safe, switching to alternatives lowers health risks, such as lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
    Markus Lindblad, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
  • That was the message from a gathering of farmers and chefs hosted this week by The James Beard Foundation, a non-profit that gives out prestigious culinary awards.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Beyond was the city of Los Angeles and, in the distance, the shimmering coast, where the Palisades Fire had killed at least ten and destroyed thousands of buildings.
    M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Palestinians who have been sheltering in squalid tent camps and schools-turned-shelters for over a year are eager to return to their homes — even though they have likely been damaged or destroyed.
    Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, TIME, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • In Los Angeles, Miami and New York, killers have targeted and murdered groups of homeless people in a matter of days.
    Leah Goodridge, TIME, 27 Jan. 2025
  • After James Blue was murdered inside his car in January 2022, the Lillys attempted to retrieve a puppy litter valued at over $50,000 from Capt. Blue.
    Gary Collins, Baltimore Sun, 27 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near dispatch

Cite this Entry

“Dispatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispatch. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

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