variants
also hari-kari
as in suicide
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Recent Examples of hara-kiri
He was struck by the show’s exploration of hara-kiri, the Japanese ritual suicide.
—
Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 18 May 2025
When the soldiers, instead of rising up, jeered at him, Mishima killed himself in the classic samurai fashion: performing hara-kiri, or seppuku (as the Japanese more commonly call it), by plunging a sword into his abdomen before a uniformed disciple sliced his head off.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
The film depicts the historical ‘Honno-ji Incident’ from 1582, when a key vassal of Oda Nobunaga rose in revolt and caused his master to commit hara-kiri in Kyoto.
—Mark Schilling, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 18 May 2025
When the soldiers, instead of rising up, jeered at him, Mishima killed himself in the classic samurai fashion: performing hara-kiri, or seppuku (as the Japanese more commonly call it), by plunging a sword into his abdomen before a uniformed disciple sliced his head off.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
The film depicts the historical ‘Honno-ji Incident’ from 1582, when a key vassal of Oda Nobunaga rose in revolt and caused his master to commit hara-kiri in Kyoto.
—Mark Schilling, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hara-kiri
Noun
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With visions of wealth and success, the young men are lured into what becomes a web of fraud — and a cautionary tale that devolves into murder.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
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Michael Proctor, a former homicide detective with the Massachusetts State Police, lost his job but may still resurface in the upcoming murder trial of Brian Walshe – who is accused of killing his wife Ana outside Boston.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
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The Staten Island resident is facing manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, among other charges.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
12 July 2025
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He has not been charged federally with homicide or aggravated assault.—
Raphael Romero Ruiz,
AZCentral.com,
12 July 2025
Noun
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The suspect called 911 to report the victims' death, then later turned herself in as a suspect in the double slaying, police said.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Ruben Perez, 46, was taken into custody in the Midway District shortly after 10 a.m. on suspicion of murder in the slaying of Jason Poindexter, 46, according to the San Diego Police Department.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
Noun
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But on Wednesday, a grand jury indicted her on the charge of assisting self-murder/manslaughter, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.—
Frank Fernandez,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2023
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The initial charge of first-degree murder has been reduced to assisting self-murder/manslaughter.—
Frank Fernandez,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2023
Noun
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There were no obvious signs of trauma or immediate indication the man was the victim of foul play.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
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The memo accompanied the release of 10 hours of prison footage from the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where Epstein was housed on the day of his death, Aug. 10, 2019 — an effort the DOJ made to prove its claims that his death was a result of suicide, rather than foul play.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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