as in massacre
the killing of a large number of people
all civilized nations should protest this senseless slaughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to massacre
to kill on a large scale
modern poultry farms slaughter a vast number of chickens every day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slaughter
Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 15 May 2025
On October 7, as Hamas carried out its slaughter of 1,200 Israeli civilians, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reportedly celebrated from Turkey.
—Sinan Ciddi and Jonathan Schanzer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
John M. Kinder, The Conversation, 1 May 2025
Of course, being an autocrat, Palpatine will use this attempt on his life to justify actually slaughtering thousands of Jedi.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slaughter
Noun
Pugh in his 60-mile swim is trying to raise awareness about the slaughter of sharks worldwide, and its effect on ocean ecosystems.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 15 May 2025
On October 7, as Hamas carried out its slaughter of 1,200 Israeli civilians, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reportedly celebrated from Turkey.
—Sinan Ciddi and Jonathan Schanzer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
Other zoos did the same, slaughtering their animal collections as a precaution against possible escape.
—John M. Kinder, The Conversation, 1 May 2025
Of course, being an autocrat, Palpatine will use this attempt on his life to justify actually slaughtering thousands of Jedi.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slaughter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaughter
Noun
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These included a shopping mall siege in 2013 that killed over 60, a bus hijacking in 2014 that killed 28, and a 2015 college massacre where 148 people—predominantly Christian students—were killed.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
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Israel on Thursday recovered the bodies of two hostages who were abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre that ignited the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.—
Bradford Betz , Yael Rotem-Kuriel,
FOXNews.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Officially, the Prime Video series (premiering May 29) is an adaptation of the 2019 novel by Alafair Burke, about a pair of estranged siblings, played by Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks, reuniting when one’s husband is murdered.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
26 May 2025
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Trump contends that white South African farmers are being murdered in a racially motivated genocide, and that the South African government has permitted itself to seize their land.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slaughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaughter. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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