kill off
Idioms-
Render extinct, eliminate completely, as in The plague killed off entire villages and towns . [c. 1600]
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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.
Health officials have advised the public to thoroughly wash produce, avoid certain fruits like raspberries, and cook vegetables to kill off the pathogen - but they still have not identified its sources.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
By definition, it has not been pasteurized, the simple process of heating milk to kill off harmful bacteria.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
“AI may eventually kill off jobs, but that time is not now,” said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Even if Kennedy did kill off Lemon, though, it does not follow that every decision built on Lemon must fall, too.
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026
The same woman asked, “Did the freeze kill off the rest of your fish?”
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
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.
