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
The arresting question: Could a commander in chief order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival and not face criminal prosecution?
—
Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2024
During arguments, the judges question the limits of Trump's claims of broad immunity, including whether a president who orders the military to assassinate a political rival would be shielded from prosecution.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2024
Millington’s history goes further back to France in the first four decades of the twentieth century—a period in which attempts by both anarchist leftists and extreme rightists to assassinate top political figures were numerous and often successful.
—Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
When a sitting Haitian president was assassinated in 1915, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sent in the Marines to protect American interests and secure stability.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
There is one conspiracy that Ted Cruz's father was involved some way with Lee Harvey Oswald in assassinating JFK.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
In October 1963, just weeks before he was assassinated, President John F. Kennedy signed into law landmark legislation that aimed to transform mental healthcare in the United States.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024
He is tasked with recovering a stash of money hidden by his late father, cartel leader Benito Aretas, and avenging his death by assassinating those responsible for his arrest and conviction.
—Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Park Chung-hee, a general who had seized power in 1961, was assassinated in 1979.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2024
During arguments, the judges question the limits of Trump's claims of broad immunity, including whether a president who orders the military to assassinate a political rival would be shielded from prosecution.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2024
Millington’s history goes further back to France in the first four decades of the twentieth century—a period in which attempts by both anarchist leftists and extreme rightists to assassinate top political figures were numerous and often successful.
—Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
When a sitting Haitian president was assassinated in 1915, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sent in the Marines to protect American interests and secure stability.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
There is one conspiracy that Ted Cruz's father was involved some way with Lee Harvey Oswald in assassinating JFK.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
In October 1963, just weeks before he was assassinated, President John F. Kennedy signed into law landmark legislation that aimed to transform mental healthcare in the United States.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024
He is tasked with recovering a stash of money hidden by his late father, cartel leader Benito Aretas, and avenging his death by assassinating those responsible for his arrest and conviction.
—Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Park Chung-hee, a general who had seized power in 1961, was assassinated in 1979.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assassinate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near assassinate
Cite this Entry
“Assassinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassinate. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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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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