1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
the murderous heat of the desert
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2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
those exams were murderous
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3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
braved murderous machine-gun fire to capture the hill from the enemy
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4
as in murdering
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing
Viking warriors became legendary for the murderous fury they displayed in battle
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of murderous
As carefully chronicled by historian Greg Grandin, Washington’s murderous interventionism in Latin America regularly found justification in hyperbolized or utterly fictional accounts of the region’s poverty, crime, drug trafficking, and general disorder.
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Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
But Callahan, sensing their murderous intent, turns himself in to the police station.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
From horrifying films about a snowman's murderous rampage and folkloric Christmas demons who terrorize not-so-nice families to comedies with a bit of edge and raunchy humor, these titles would certainly make Santa's naughty list.
—Lydia Price, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
Heels star Alexander Ludwig and musician AJ Michalka have been cast for the next season of Mike White’s murderous luxury vacation show, per THR.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murderous
Adjective
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The proud and courageous Iranian people are rising up against the tyrannical, despotic and oppressive regime that imposed its vicious rule in 1979 and has governed by fear and murder ever since.—
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Their writing focuses on identity and the intersections of mental health and oppressive systems.—
Adjective
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Jens generally chooses his words carefully, and is, what’s more, particularly reticent just after finishing a long and difficult winter delivery trip; what’s a person supposed to do with words in a blizzard anyway, up on a stormy heath and all directions lost?—
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In his first start in the wake of Beau Pribula’s significant injury, Zollers walked into a difficult situation, and his stat line reflected it.—
Adjective
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The blackout slashed internet access to a fraction of normal levels on the 13th day of the protests as rights groups, including Amensty International, accused the regime of using lethal force against protesters.—
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An 11-week-old baby died in 2024 in Lakewood because a bottle of baby formula fed to him was contaminated with lethal amounts of methamphetamine.—
Adjective
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Bipartisan harsh criticism Senators from both sides of the aisle blasted the investigation.—
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Common exfoliators and fine line-eliminators like retinol and glycolic acid are too harsh on my skin, but this serum utilizes lactic acid, which is far more gentle but just as potent.—
Adjective
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But last month, Critchfield backed off in the face of a challenging state budget.—
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Depending on where in the country your family lives, winter can be a challenging time for kids who are cooped up inside amid the chillier weather.—
Adjective
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The Burbank Police Department also shared a security camera video from the deadly shootout.—
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Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions, stay off the rocks.—
Adjective
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Healthy people infected with salmonella can experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever.—
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Violent conflicts have been erupting at a brisk frequency, getting bloodier, and more protracted.—
Adjective
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Sophomore Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser, whose searing opening monologue had everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Julia Roberts taking jabs in stride.—
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For the ceremony, Lawrence wore a searing red gown designed by Raf Simons during his stint at the house of Dior.—
Cite this Entry
“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murderous. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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