assassinate
verb
as·sas·si·nate
ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnāt 
assassinated; assassinating
1
: to murder (a usually prominent person) by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons
a plot to assassinate the governor
2
: to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously
assassinate a man's character
Examples of assassinate in a Sentence
They discovered a secret plot to assassinate the governor.
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Recent Examples on the Web
The next day, J.F.K. was assassinated, spawning decades of conspiracy theories.
—
Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 July 2025
The country’s intelligence services failed to prevent Israel from assassinating many top military officials, and now the Iranian regime is lashing out in all directions.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 17 July 2025
Later, the husband of Nancy Pelosi, then the House speaker, was attacked in their home and Donald Trump was shot and very nearly assassinated while at a rally before the 2024 election.
—Nicole Widdersheim, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
He was later charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer, in addition to a number of weapons offenses.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for assassinate
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Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 July 2025
The country’s intelligence services failed to prevent Israel from assassinating many top military officials, and now the Iranian regime is lashing out in all directions.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 17 July 2025
Later, the husband of Nancy Pelosi, then the House speaker, was attacked in their home and Donald Trump was shot and very nearly assassinated while at a rally before the 2024 election.
—Nicole Widdersheim, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
He was later charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer, in addition to a number of weapons offenses.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for assassinate
Cite this Entry
“Assassinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassinate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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assassinate
verb
as·sas·si·nate
ə-ˈsas-ᵊn-ˌāt
assassinated; assassinating
: to murder a usually important person by a surprise or secret attack
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