assassinate

verb

ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce assassinate (audio)
Definition of assassinatenext
as in to murder
to put to death deliberately President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word assassinate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of assassinate are dispatch, execute, kill, murder, and slay. While all these words mean "to deprive of life," assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

When might dispatch be a better fit than assassinate?

The words dispatch and assassinate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

When can execute be used instead of assassinate?

Although the words execute and assassinate have much in common, execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

When would kill be a good substitute for assassinate?

The meanings of kill and assassinate largely overlap; however, kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident
frost killed the plants

When is murder a more appropriate choice than assassinate?

The synonyms murder and assassinate are sometimes interchangeable, but murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

When could slay be used to replace assassinate?

The words slay and assassinate can be used in similar contexts, but slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

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 assassinate The desire to recreate that era is fueled by Trump’s fondness for tariffs and his admiration for the nation’s 25th president, William McKinley, a Republican who was in office from 1897 until being assassinated in 1901. —Will Weissert, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 Read More Trump supporter accused of plotting to assassinate Trump at CA rally. —Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025 While speaking to news outlets, Bianco wrongly accused Miller of plotting to assassinate Trump, defaming him as a result, the complaint says. —Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 13 Mar. 2025 Calling for the impeachment of judges who rule against the president – as President Donald Trump’s adviser Elon Musk and several Republican lawmakers have recently – may seem a far cry from attempting to assassinate a Supreme Court justice. —Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assassinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assassinate
  1. murder
  2. slay
  3. execute
  4. kill
Verb
  • Just ask Davinci Leonard, who’s accused of murdering two teenagers at the Westgate Mall Saturday night.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Cordelia Cupp arrives at the White House tasked with solving whether chief usher A.B. Wynter (an impactful Giancarlo Esposito who stepped in for the late Andre Braugher) killed himself or was murdered during a state dinner.
    — Ronda Racha Penrice, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of murder
Verb
  • Now, residents of Gaza and the West Bank are at the mercy of Israeli military operations in which fighters and civilians are being slain at staggering rates.
    — Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Blumhouse’s slaying doll returns to domestic cinemas on June 27.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of slay
Verb
  • The Constitution says that the president, the chief executive, shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
    — Samantha Riedel, Them., 28 Mar. 2025
  • Miller serves as the presenting sponsor of the LIM College Fashion Show, and is personally mentoring students throughout the process of creating and executing the event.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of execute
Verb
  • Rick kills one of the security men, as Chelsea is shot in the chest.
    — Colleen Kratofil, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Then in the third period, once again killing a penalty with the Canadiens clinging to a 2-1 lead, and just after Sam Montembeault made a series of saves on Sean Couturier to maintain that lead, Suzuki added to it with the winning goal.
    — Arpon Basu, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of kill

Browse Nearby Words

assassin
assassinate
assassinated
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Cite this Entry

“Assassinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assassinate. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of assassinate for Spanish Speakers

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