kill off

verb

killed off; killing off; kills off

transitive verb

: to destroy in large numbers or totally

Examples of kill off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Most cases have been in the Northeast, where cases are typically reported between mid-June and early October before freezing temperatures kill off mosquito populations. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 25 Sep. 2024 But the bill was killed off in the Republican-majority House this year. Melissa Cruz, USA TODAY, 19 Sep. 2024 And sure enough, at concentrations of 5% gallium oxide, the glass was able to kill off 99% of the osteosarcoma cells after 10 days, without harming the healthy bone. Michael Irving, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2024 But according to a modeling study published this week in Science, the Great Dying was primed by a mega–El Niño pattern in the global ocean of the time, leading to weather extremes that killed off forests and kicked off the extinctions. Bypaul Voosen, science.org, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for kill off 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kill off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kill off was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near kill off

Cite this Entry

“Kill off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kill%20off. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on kill off

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