lynch

verb

ˈlinch How to pronounce lynch (audio)
lynched; lynching; lynches

transitive verb

: to put to death (as by hanging) by mob action without legal approval or permission
The accused killer was lynched by an angry mob.
lyncher noun

Examples of lynch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Civil rights and criminal justice experts interviewed by the Observer say the police owe it to the community to do a thorough investigation and offer transparency, given the history of Black people being lynched in the South. — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026 Perryman says that for Black mothers, especially in Mississippi, the disappearance and death of a young Black man evokes the memory of Emmett Till, a Black child who was abducted in 1955 and lynched by two white men in Mississippi. — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026 Eighty-five years ago today, Emmett Till was born in Chicago and lived only 14 years before he was abducted and lynched while visiting family in Mississippi. — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 Yes, Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was abducted, tortured and lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after a White woman accused him of making an advance toward her. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lynch

Word History

Etymology

after lynch law

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lynch was in 1835

Phrases Containing lynch

Rhymes for lynch

See All Rhymes for lynch

Browse Nearby Words

lyncean
lynch
Lynchburg
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lynch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lynch. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

lynch

verb
ˈlinch How to pronounce lynch (audio)
: to put to death (as by hanging) by mob action without legal authority
lyncher noun

Legal Definition

lynch

transitive verb
ˈlinch How to pronounce lynch (audio)
: to put to death (as by hanging) by mob action without legal sanction
lyncher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lynch

Nglish: Translation of lynch for Spanish Speakers

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