1
: the act of one that kills
2
3
: a sudden notable gain or profit
made a killing in the stock market
1
: that kills or relates to killing
2
: highly amusing
3
: extremely difficult to deal with
the suspense is killing
also
: calling for great strength, stamina, or endurance
a killing schedule
Synonyms
Examples of killing in a Sentence
Noun
The oil spill is responsible for the killing of thousands of birds.
Adjective
he's usually quiet, but occasionally unleashes some killing remark that cracks everyone up
a killing schedule that requires the touring company to play in a different city every night
Recent Examples on the Web
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 May 2024
Three people have been shot to death in a small South Dakota town, and a former law officer who once served as the town's mayor has been charged in the killings.
—CBS News, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for killing 
Noun
The killings happened May 23 when gunmen ambushed the three during attacks against the compound in the community of Lizon.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 May 2024
Three people have been shot to death in a small South Dakota town, and a former law officer who once served as the town's mayor has been charged in the killings.
—CBS News, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for killing
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'killing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near killing
Cite this Entry
“Killing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/killing. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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