BUTCHERED Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

butchered

verb

past tense of butcher

as in slaughtered

to kill on a large scale the barbarians butchered the monks in the monasteries without mercy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in fumbled

to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way the new piano student butchered the sonatina

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 butchered Then, in 1863, a collection of Missouri Confederate Bushwhackers led by William Quantrill rode into Lawrence and butchered 150 men and boys. — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Cut marks and scrapes made by flint knives at consistent locations on the bones indicate local humans butchered many of them for meals. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026 At the site, excavators found stone tools alongside bones of ancient elephants — and the recent paper, written by archaeologists and paleoanthropologists, suggests the remains were likely deliberately butchered by early human ancestors. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026 The meats — some butchered on-site by Soto — sear over mesquite charcoal, with smoke wafting through the large patio and over the restaurant’s bright pink walls. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Jurors heard a harrowing voicemail left by Johnson begging one of her friends for help as Williams butchered her, stabbing her five times in the chest and four times in her back. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026 Being completely immobilized and nearly butchered by Jean could easily lead to a lifelong hatred of mutantkind. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026 The magazine’s anatomically graphic photos—rats butchered alive, dogs with their faces sliced open, monkeys screaming at the electrodes implanted in their abdomens—seemed like windows into hell. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 That November, working once again with the Humane Society, Anderson rescued three dogs bound for South Korea to be butchered for meat and another that was rescued from Hurricane Ian in Florida. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for butchered

Verb

Fifteen people were slaughtered, including relatives of Maram, and some of her neighbors.

— Mosab Abu Toha, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026
Already, in South Africa, an ostrich flock that survives bird flu would only be quarantined and rigorously tested for reinfection, not slaughtered.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of slaughtered

Verb

Carr fumbled while trying to spike the ball, and Isaiah Glasker pounced on it to help the Cougars maintain a two-score lead going into the locker room.

— John Coon, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Then, with Georgia a first down away from a game-winning field-goal attempt, Stockton fumbled the ball.

— Connor Riley, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of fumbled

Verb

But head coach Ben Johnson isn't going to be happy that his team nearly blew a 24-point lead with just over 12 minutes to go.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
On Saturday morning, temperatures in the fire area were in the mid-80s and winds blew at about 15 mph.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of blew

Verb

The flow of money from Qatar into Gaza has taken on new significance since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, murdered some 1,200 people, and took 251 more hostage.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
The child was Leslie Ann Downey, one of five victims murdered by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between 1963 and 1965.

— Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of murdered

Verb

That pad, now dubbed LC-36A, was devastated by a massive explosion during a test back in May, but construction crews have worked 24/7 to try and build it back to launch capability before the end of the year.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
The petition, dubbed No Sidewalk Bots, urges the city to halt the sidewalk robot program until the technology's impact is evaluated and rules can be implemented.

— Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of dubbed

Verb

Firefighters battling a blaze that destroyed six homes in south Orange County can expect a bit of reprieve Saturday afternoon as Santa Ana winds begin to die down.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Its owners, a family of three, left for a cruise before the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel destroyed their property.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroyed

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butcher

butchered

butcheries

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“Butchered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butchered. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of butchered

verb

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