hit list

American  

noun

Slang.

1. a list of persons singled out as targets for murder.

2. a list of people or programs to be acted against or disposed of.

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hit list British  

noun

1. a list of people to be murdered

   a terrorist hit list

2. a list of targets to be eliminated in some way

   a hit list of pits to be closed

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Etymology

Origin of hit list

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Next on the U.S. hit list is Delcy Rodríguez, Mr. Maduro’s second in command.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026

Tips have flooded social media: everything from signing up with a parent's email and moving to platforms not explicitly named on the government's hit list, to using VPNs, which can disguise a user's location.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

Chavez denied passing word of any hit list, telling the jury: “I did not, and would not, ever harm someone.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2024

Miguel Cabrera moved past Adrián Beltré for 16th place on MLB’s career hit list with a single to lead off the seventh inning.

From Washington Times • Sep. 20, 2023

But right now, I needed to talk to Aech, to warn him that he was next on the Sixers’ hit list.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline