assassinate
verb
as·sas·si·nate
ə-ˈsa-sə-ˌnāt 
assassinated; assassinating
1
: to murder (a usually prominent person) by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons
a plot to assassinate the governor
2
: to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously
assassinate a man's character
Synonyms
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
After Iraq launched Scud missiles into Israel during the 1991 Gulf War, Israel laid plans to assassinate Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, calling it off after a rehearsal ended in the accidental deaths of five Israeli commandos.
—
Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 28 May 2024
Two populations, Invisibles and Dominant Population (DP), have an uneasy coexistence until the brother of a woman from the Invisibles is suspected of assassinating a DP leader.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 26 May 2024
An homage to Luis Donaldo Colosio — a regular patron and presidential candidate when he was assassinated in Tijuana three decades ago — is one of the few wall adornments.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Indira Gandhi, a prominent Indian politician and the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's inaugural prime minister, was tragically assassinated by her own bodyguards on Oct. 31, 1984.
—Breana Scheckwitz, Fox News, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for assassinate 
Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 28 May 2024
Two populations, Invisibles and Dominant Population (DP), have an uneasy coexistence until the brother of a woman from the Invisibles is suspected of assassinating a DP leader.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 26 May 2024
An homage to Luis Donaldo Colosio — a regular patron and presidential candidate when he was assassinated in Tijuana three decades ago — is one of the few wall adornments.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Indira Gandhi, a prominent Indian politician and the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's inaugural prime minister, was tragically assassinated by her own bodyguards on Oct. 31, 1984.
—Breana Scheckwitz, Fox News, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for assassinate
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Cite this Entry
“Assassinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassinate. Accessed 5 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
assassinate
verb
as·sas·si·nate
ə-ˈsas-ᵊn-ˌāt
assassinated; assassinating
: to murder a usually important person by a surprise or secret attack
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