as in murder
the act of ending the life of someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any further suffering
Some called her death a mercy killing.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 mercy killing
More secrets emerge, Chappelle says there’s no time to explain, even mercy killing the dog.
—
Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2025
DJ Anne Harris is largely focused on mercy killing her relationship with Siobhan for Siobhan’s own good.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 May 2021
The doctor carried out the mercy killing with her family’s consent and support.
—Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2019
The woman later gave mixed signals about her desire to die, but the doctor, in close consultation with the woman’s family, decided to go ahead with the mercy killing.
—Mike Corder, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2019
In the Bollinger case, a handicapped baby was refused a lifesaving operation in Chicago in 1915, touching off a national debate over mercy killing the mentally disabled.
—Grazie Pozo Christie, National Review, 13 Feb. 2018
After both of those mercy kill eliminations, there's only one more woman cut at the actual rose ceremony this week: poor Bibi.
—Ashley Iaconetti, Cosmopolitan, 16 Jan. 2018
In fact, the roots of mercy killing in modern times are lodged in the unsavory and downright savage practices of the last century.
—Grazie Pozo Christie, National Review, 13 Feb. 2018
Spirit Airlines has since come out to deny any wrongdoing, saying that while Aldecosea was misinformed initially by the airline initially, a gate representative did not suggest mercy killing Pebbles.
—Sarah Weldon, Cosmopolitan, 8 Feb. 2018
Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 19 Jan. 2025
DJ Anne Harris is largely focused on mercy killing her relationship with Siobhan for Siobhan’s own good.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 May 2021
The doctor carried out the mercy killing with her family’s consent and support.
—Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2019
The woman later gave mixed signals about her desire to die, but the doctor, in close consultation with the woman’s family, decided to go ahead with the mercy killing.
—Mike Corder, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2019
In the Bollinger case, a handicapped baby was refused a lifesaving operation in Chicago in 1915, touching off a national debate over mercy killing the mentally disabled.
—Grazie Pozo Christie, National Review, 13 Feb. 2018
After both of those mercy kill eliminations, there's only one more woman cut at the actual rose ceremony this week: poor Bibi.
—Ashley Iaconetti, Cosmopolitan, 16 Jan. 2018
In fact, the roots of mercy killing in modern times are lodged in the unsavory and downright savage practices of the last century.
—Grazie Pozo Christie, National Review, 13 Feb. 2018
Spirit Airlines has since come out to deny any wrongdoing, saying that while Aldecosea was misinformed initially by the airline initially, a gate representative did not suggest mercy killing Pebbles.
—Sarah Weldon, Cosmopolitan, 8 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercy killing
Noun
-
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating the murder of a woman whose body was found stuffed into a closet Monday at a Florida Keys resort.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino, 43, was charged with special circumstance allegation that the murder happened during the commission of another violent felony, such as a robbery or rape.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The sisters of a Northern California mother of four are seeking answers after her disappearance was recently ruled a homicide.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
The homicide investigation is the 24th of the year investigated by Oakland police.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Trump got a temporary reprieve when the markets closed Friday at 4 p.m., but expect the massacre to resume this morning at 9:30 when the opening bell rings at the New York Stock Exchange.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2025
-
In 2007, the British journalist David Litchfield wrote in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that guests at a ball at Schloss Rechnitz were invited to shoot Jews for sport—a claim disputed by historians, who do not dispute that the massacre took place.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Now!, another Sundance doc about the landmark 1988 student protest that transformed accessibility rights in the U.S.; and Life After, where director Reid Davenport investigates assisted suicide laws for disabled people.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Marijuana legalization, assisted suicide, voting procedures and school curriculum are additional examples of issues where states have set their own policies.—
Claire B. Wofford,
The Conversation,
27 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mercy killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercy%20killing. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share