kill off
Idioms-
Render extinct, eliminate completely, as in The plague killed off entire villages and towns . [c. 1600]
-
Represent as dead, as in This mystery writer kills off a new victim in almost every chapter . [Mid-1800s]
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.
This follows a strategic decision to kill off traditional sedans and hold the line on profits rather than chase volume, which is making the company more money and winning over Wall Street.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
By definition, it has not been pasteurized, the simple process of heating milk to kill off harmful bacteria.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
At one point on back-to-back plays, Carter Mirabal had a block and Vaughan Flaherty followed with a kill off an assist from Spalding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
Price, who won in Dublin last year, was dominant as he raced into the lead, but he missed chance after chance to kill off the game as the world champion came roaring back.
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
Is the internet free-for-all going to kill off the very musical endeavour most beloved of its young pirates?
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
