Thesaurus results for MASSACRE

massacre 1 of 2

noun

ˈma-si-kər

Definition of massacre

as in slaughter

the killing of a large number of people the infamous massacre of more than 200 Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota

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massacre

2 of 2

verb

as in to slaughter

to kill on a large scale the country's rival ethnic groups began massacring one another

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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 massacre

Noun

The vast majority expressed deep distress and anger at their government after the massacres that took place in response to January’s mass protests. — Narges Bajoghli, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026 Galschiøt, who is perhaps best known for his 2021 Pillar of Shame, commemorating the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre, was invited to bring the sculpture to Strasbourg by left-wing Danish European Parliament member Per Clausen. — News Desk, Artforum, 8 Oct. 2026

Verb

The regime has demonstrated an extreme brutality toward the population, having massacred thousands of unarmed protestors this past January. — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Soon after, in January, security forces massacred thousands of Iranian protesters with military-style weapons. — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for massacre

Recent Examples of Synonyms for massacre

slaughter

Noun

One of the leading explanations for its origin goes back to an older meaning of the word ‘bucket’ — a beam or yoke from which animals could be suspended during slaughter.

— Jim Dudlicek, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Now, as then, the dehumanization of Arab and Muslim lives is embedded in the very language used to describe their slaughter.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of slaughter

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mass

massacre

massacred

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

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Synonyms of massacre

noun

verb

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