killing off

verb

present participle of kill off
as in blotting out

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for killing off
  1. blotting out
  2. taking out
  3. putting away
  4. knocking off
  5. slaughtering
  6. bumping off
  7. rubbing out
  8. carrying off
Verb
  • For a few minutes at each end of that window, the moon’s edge will appear to align with that of the sun, blotting out the star’s fierce light and revealing the wispy corona off to one side.
    — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 6 Apr. 2026
  • From up in the space shuttle, in 1983, astronaut Sally Ride could see the pollution blotting out her Los Angeles hometown.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of blotting out
Verb
  • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will be providing updates throughout the weekend as the storm makes its way across the region, soaking the South in rain and taking out trees and power lines along the way.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Those details alone are also generally insufficient for opening major financial accounts or taking out loans because financial institutions typically require additional identity verification.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of taking out
Verb
  • Jason Wright threw for a touchdown and ran for another but also had two interceptions as the Bulls (2-2) had trouble putting away the Colonials (2-2).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Beyond coffee, Gottsman said candidates should avoid other distractions or unprofessional impressions by putting away their phones, skipping overpowering fragrances, removing sunglasses from the tops of their heads and avoiding chewing gum.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of putting away
Verb
  • Following wins over Coastal Carolina (31-24) and UT Martin (52-7) to open, perhaps the Mountaineers will get some attention as a Big 12 title contender after knocking off previously unbeaten Virginia.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The Colts were just one touchdown drive away from knocking off the Texans in the regular-season finale and securing a postseason berth, but an errant pass from Minshew on fourth-and-1 spelled the end of their season.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of knocking off
Verb
  • Jason, who supposedly witnessed his mother’s killing, took up the blade, slaughtering his way through several bloody sequels.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Which is not to say there aren’t currently Black women slaughtering the pop scene right now.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of slaughtering
Verb
  • In bumping off Ecuador 2-0 Tuesday night in the friendly confines of Estadio Azteca, Mexico has set up Telemundo (and to a lesser extent, Fox) for a post-holiday blockbuster against England.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of bumping off
Verb
  • Also on the trail is a gangster named Clyde (John Magaro), who’s been sent to redo the job of rubbing out the mysteriously undead Ida.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Definition of rubbing out
Verb
  • Zeus acting for his own pleasure underlies the evolutionary tales of small groups raiding foreign shores, carrying off women.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
  • Before the night was out, Germans began chipping away at the barrier, carrying off chunks of one of the symbols of the diminishing Iron Curtain.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Definition of carrying off
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.

Browse Nearby Words

killing fields
killing off
killings
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Cite this Entry

“Killing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killing%20off. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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