assassinate

verb

as·sas·si·nate ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnāt

assassinated; assassinating

Synonyms of assassinate next

transitive verb

: to murder (a usually prominent person) by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons

a plot to assassinate the governor

: to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously

assassinate a man's character

assassinator

ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnā-tər

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for assassinate

kill, slay, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute mean to deprive of life.

kill merely states the fact of death caused by an agency in any manner.

killed in an accident

frost killed the plants

slay is a chiefly literary term implying deliberateness and violence but not necessarily motive.

slew thousands of the Philistines

murder specifically implies stealth and motive and premeditation and therefore full moral responsibility.

convicted of murdering a rival

assassinate applies to deliberate killing openly or secretly often for political motives.

terrorists assassinated the Senator

dispatch stresses quickness and directness in putting to death.

dispatched the sentry with one bullet

execute stresses putting to death as a legal penalty.

executed by lethal gas

Examples of assassinate in a Sentence

They discovered a secret plot to assassinate the governor. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

The honor is not exclusively reserved for presidents, though—there were national days of mourning after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. —

Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025 The tradition of a national day of mourning following the death of a notable public figure began in the U.S. after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, according to The New York Times. —

Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2025 After President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, the New York Stock Exchange closed for days. —

Maria Aspan, NPR, 9 Jan. 2025 Catch up quick: After Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the Shia militia group suffered a series of defeats, the Biden administration decided to take advantage of the situation and push Lebanese leaders to elect a new president. —

Barak Ravid, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for assassinate