Thesaurus results for SLAUGHTER

slaughter 1 of 2

noun

ˈslȯ-tər

Definition of slaughter

as in massacre

the killing of a large number of people all civilized nations should protest this senseless slaughter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

slaughter

2 of 2

verb

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

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 slaughter

Noun

When poultry get infected, there is a near-zero chance of survival, so governments across the world have embarked on mass slaughter campaigns in infected farms to slow the spread. — Todd Symons, CNN Money, 22 July 2026 Bison slaughter was a form of biocide in service of genocide, although neither ultimately achieved its aims. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 20 July 2026

Verb

Things start off tense and get worse when a mysterious group of knife-wielding Aztec cultists show up to slaughter them all. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026 Deputies unlawfully confiscated Cedar, who was then slaughtered before his family ever had the chance to challenge the seizure in court. — Vanessa Shakib, Oc Register, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for slaughter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaughter

Noun

In 2022, 36 people were killed, 24 of them children, in a massacre at a childcare center in the northeast, believed to be the country’s deadliest incident of its kind.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
In 2022, an ex-policeman armed with a gun and knife stormed into a nursery in the country's north and murdered 24 children and 12 adults in one of Thailand's deadliest massacres.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of massacre

Verb

The trip changed his life when terrorist Rashid Baz opened fire on the van, murdering 16-year-old Ari Halberstam, and injuring several others.

— Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
People don’t do what they’re supposed to, or someone betrays someone else for money or power or spite, or maybe a dragon just disobeys its rider and decides to murder a prince.

— Brian Grubb, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of murder

Browse Nearby Words

slaty

slaughter

slaughtered

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Slaughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slaughter. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of slaughter

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on slaughter

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

salvo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes