assassinate

[ uh-sas-uh-neyt ]

See synonyms for assassinate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),as·sas·si·nat·ed, as·sas·si·nat·ing.

to kill suddenly or secretively, especially a prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously.
to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously: to assassinate a person's character.

Origin of assassinate

First recorded in 1590–1600; assassin + -ate¹

Other words for assassinate

slay

See synonyms for assassinate on Thesaurus.com

Other words from assassinate

as·sas·si·na·tion [uh-sas-uh-ney-shuhn] /əˌsæs əˈneɪ ʃən/ noun
as·sas·si·na·tive, adjective
as·sas·si·na·tor, noun
un·as·sas·si·nat·ed, adjective

Words Nearby assassinate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use assassinate in a sentence

Not long after he was arrested, the FBI said that Hopkins and others had trained to assassinate former President Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
The U.S.-Mexico Border Has Long Been a Magnet for Far-Right Vigilantes | Patrick Strickland | February 17, 2022 | Time
The FBI discovered texts in which he threatened to assassinate Pelosi and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser.
What Happened to Jan. 6 Insurrectionists Arrested in the Year Since the Capitol Riot | Julia Zorthian | January 6, 2022 | Time
They wanted small, independent teams smart and flexible enough to blow up bridges, cut communication lines, train resistance fighters, and assassinate foreign targets, then slip away unnoticed.
How unruly, knife-wielding swimmers became the first Navy SEALs | David Philipps | December 5, 2021 | Popular-Science
His was the advice that kept Bill Clinton from unleashing hellfire on Iraq after its intelligence service had tried to assassinate Bush 41 during a visit to Kuwait.
Colin Powell and the Transformative Power of Owning Your Mistakes | Philip Elliott | October 18, 2021 | Time
Drones Change the GameWhen Obama authorized the use of an armed drone to assassinate an American citizen outside of a war zone for the first time, the rules of engagement changed forever.
14 Moments From the War on Terror | Kate Bartlett | September 10, 2021 | Ozy

British Dictionary definitions for assassinate

assassinate

/ (əˈsæsɪˌneɪt) /

verb(tr)

to murder (a person, esp a public or political figure), usually by a surprise attack
to ruin or harm (a person's reputation, etc) by slander

Derived forms of assassinate

assassination, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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