as in slaughters
the killing of a large number of people
the infamous massacre of more than 200 Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in murders
to kill on a large scale
the country's rival ethnic groups began massacring one another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of massacres
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2026
Planting seasons, river baptisms, torture, prayers, African dialects, poverty, massacres, lynchings.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
The world sees the massacres in Lebanon.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Ghaemi said that this language was reminiscent of the propaganda that helped fuel and justify other historic atrocities, such as the massacres in Myanmar or Rwanda.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
And Glocks have been the killing machine of choice in some of America’s most horrifying massacres, including Virginia Tech in 2007, which left 33 dead, including the gunman, and the shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in California in November 2018, where a gunman killed 13 people, then himself.
—Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
At the Church of Saint Andrew in Bucha, after viewing dozens of graphic photographs and a video display of the massacres with his EU counterparts, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski was grim.
—Lorne Cook, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Gran Grif also was blamed for an attack in the central town of Pont-Sondé in October 2024, where more than 70 people were killed in one of the biggest massacres in Haiti’s recent history.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
In general, however, the law itself, as well as the difficulties of enforcing it in outlying districts, favored the settlers, and massacres, incursions, poisonings, and forced dispersals usually went unpunished.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
Nor does your letter mention the countless rapes and massacres carried out by Hamas on that day.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2026
Planting seasons, river baptisms, torture, prayers, African dialects, poverty, massacres, lynchings.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
The world sees the massacres in Lebanon.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Ghaemi said that this language was reminiscent of the propaganda that helped fuel and justify other historic atrocities, such as the massacres in Myanmar or Rwanda.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
And Glocks have been the killing machine of choice in some of America’s most horrifying massacres, including Virginia Tech in 2007, which left 33 dead, including the gunman, and the shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in California in November 2018, where a gunman killed 13 people, then himself.
—Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
At the Church of Saint Andrew in Bucha, after viewing dozens of graphic photographs and a video display of the massacres with his EU counterparts, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski was grim.
—Lorne Cook, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Gran Grif also was blamed for an attack in the central town of Pont-Sondé in October 2024, where more than 70 people were killed in one of the biggest massacres in Haiti’s recent history.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
In general, however, the law itself, as well as the difficulties of enforcing it in outlying districts, favored the settlers, and massacres, incursions, poisonings, and forced dispersals usually went unpunished.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Polish government considers the Volhynia and Galicia massacres a genocide, and holds Bandera equal in infamy to Nazi war criminals of the same era.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for massacres
Noun
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Hands-down one of the most disgusting movies ever made (a compliment), the film finds the indefatigable slasher, who was decapitated at the end of Terrifier 2, reattaching his head and commencing his ritual slaughters.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Geillis, on her quest to install Bonnie Prince Charlie on the throne, murders her husband as a blood sacrifice and walks through the stones.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In 1971, a jury in Los Angeles recommended the death penalty for Charles Manson and three female followers for the 1969 Tate-La Bianca murders.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Prosecutors analyzed the deaths and argued that the two similar deaths couldn't be coincidental.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Massacres.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/massacres. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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