1
as in headache
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work
weeding out that overgrown garden is going to be a killer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in murderer
a person who kills another person
gunned down by hired killers
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
killer viruses that claimed millions of lives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
a killer exercise program guaranteed to whip you into shape
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of killer
Giana Levy, Variety, 26 Aug. 2025
Investigators have linked yet another murder to a notorious California serial killer nearly 45 years after a man’s body was found along an Oregon highway.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2025
No breakfast list is complete without a hash brown casserole, and this one is killer.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
Dexter: Original Sin took place in 1991, 15 years before the original show, chronicling the origin story of the titular killer with Patrick Gibson taking over as the teen version previously played by Michael C. Hall.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer
Noun
The series about the notorious serial killer will premiere on Peacock with all eight episodes on Oct. 16th.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 26 Aug. 2025
Investigators have linked yet another murder to a notorious California serial killer nearly 45 years after a man’s body was found along an Oregon highway.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2025
No breakfast list is complete without a hash brown casserole, and this one is killer.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
Dexter: Original Sin took place in 1991, 15 years before the original show, chronicling the origin story of the titular killer with Patrick Gibson taking over as the teen version previously played by Michael C. Hall.
—EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for killer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killer
Noun
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As noted by The Register, one issue that could cause headaches for users is if organizations use onmicrosoft.com as their primary SMTP address.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
24 Aug. 2025
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Anyone can contract Legionnaire’s disease by inhaling tiny drops containing the bacteria, and the symptoms—fever, headache, shortness of breath—appear within days.—
Dylan Scott,
Wired News,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Eventually, Cooper revealed himself to be a serial killer, thus beginning Prater’s fascination with murderers.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
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And perhaps viewing murderers and carjackers as domestic enemies will actually dissuade those behaviors.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The true key to the film’s success is Ronan herself, who perfectly balances deadly precision with emotional vulnerability—childlike in curiosity but lethal in execution.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Palace’s recruitment strategy depends on selling players, however difficult such deals are to stomach.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
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The Chamber said the cancellation was a difficult decision but ultimately the best course of action.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Gutekunst, whose job may be on the line this season under new team president Ed Policy, took out his driver and swung away.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
29 Aug. 2025
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Jeanine Pirro, the former Fox News pundit who used that job to spout election disinformation for Donald Trump in 2020, has not proven to be a very effective federal prosecutor.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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With that in mind, there's no better time to reintroduce Sega's classic assassin series, Shinobi.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
25 Aug. 2025
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My idea: someone slips a poison spider into an entry of a baking contest and all participants must figure out who the would-be assassin was.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The suspect in the deadly shooting Friday, Aug. 22 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit was taken into custody early Saturday morning, according to the Detroit Police Department.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Both are incredibly venomous and deadly, but the Coral snake has more neurotoxic venom on a drop-for-drop basis.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Taking the most challenging courses available — like AP, IB, honors, or dual enrollment classes — signals preparedness for college-level work.—
Liz Doe Stone,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Because of this consistent advocacy, the Mayor selected me to help lead efforts to move Council forward through this challenging time.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Killer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killer. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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