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

He was pulled from slaughter 15 minutes before being loaded on a truck. — Kerri Corrado, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 The defining absence of Palestinian slaughter thus looms over the film. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2026

Verb

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 Every year, live chickens are confined and slaughtered at makeshift sites on Brooklyn streets and sidewalks. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slaughter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slaughter

Noun

Authorities said Willeford, who lived near the church, grabbed his own gun and shot and chased the gunman, helping to stop the massacre.

— Holly Yan, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
In the coming years, the massacre generation is on track to become part of the largest voting bloc in the country.

— Jillian Turanovic, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of massacre

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
India has decided to make the trade-off to buy cheaper oil and sort of look the other way, that that's giving money to a guy who's murdering thousands of people every week.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of slaughter

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes