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
In the 1990s, it was out-of-town shopping centres that were predicted to kill off High Streets; then it was online shopping, then working from home.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 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
“Someone else might kill off Voldemort while she’s holding us here making vol-au-vents?”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
