kill
verb (used with object)
to deprive of life in any manner; cause the death of; slay.
had killed
-
past perfectof kill.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Reports on Friday that pneumonic plague had killed a 28-year-old woman named Darya Shipilova, who had been working for the anti-plague institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region, sparked alarm.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
A 1990 Denver Business Journal profile noted she had killed a rhinoceros, a lion and a leopard in the preceding year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
PLanD planning consultant Simon James said the council tax changes for second homes in Wales had "killed the holiday home market".
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The other undercover officer, Anna, got to know him separately, and during a covertly captured conversation in a café in December 2023 she put it to him that his nephew had killed somebody.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
German submarines had killed Americans, and relations with Germany were fraying.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
