assassination
noun
as·sas·si·na·tion
ə-ˌsa-sə-ˈnā-shən 
plural assassinations
1
: murder by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons : the act or an instance of assassinating someone (such as a prominent political leader)
the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
an assassination attempt
In medieval days, assassination by poisoning was common enough to alarm many a king, and protection was sought in the form of prayers, food tasters and science.—
The New York Times
The New York Times2
: treacherous destruction of a person's reputation
character assassination
Examples of assassination in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Gwangju uprising Before Tuesday, martial law was last declared in South Korea by Chun Doo-hwan, a general who rose to power in a coup following the 1979 assassination of President Park Chung-hee — a former general who had also declared martial law while in power to crack down on dissent.
—Chandelis Duster, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
Plus plus plus: The House task force investigating the assassination attempt of Trump is meeting today.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 5 Dec. 2024
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and Republican Texas Congressman Pat Fallon got into a screaming match Thursday at a House panel investigating the assassination attempt against President-elect Donald Trump.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024
The task force's findings are in line with those from other investigations into the July 13 assassination attempt, including from an independent review panel that examined the shooting.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2024
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Chandelis Duster, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
Plus plus plus: The House task force investigating the assassination attempt of Trump is meeting today.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 5 Dec. 2024
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and Republican Texas Congressman Pat Fallon got into a screaming match Thursday at a House panel investigating the assassination attempt against President-elect Donald Trump.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024
The task force's findings are in line with those from other investigations into the July 13 assassination attempt, including from an independent review panel that examined the shooting.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for assassination
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Dictionary Entries Near assassination
Cite this Entry
“Assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassination. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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