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serial killer

British  

noun

  1. a person who carries out a series of murders

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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“I’m drawn to police detectives, not private detectives,” he says, pointing to the duty-bound, badge-wearing protagonist in “Cure,” a Criterion-anointed classic now held in the same pantheon of serial killer tales as “Seven” and “Manhunter.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 30, 2026

The famous Buddhist Angulimala Sutta tells a story of a serial killer who is redeemed by the Buddha and becomes a righteous monk.

From Slate Jul. 10, 2026

Harpootlian said Murdaugh is deserving of some concessions because of that, noting “this guy is not a serial killer, he’s not Ted Bundy. The only thing he’s been convicted of is stealing money.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 29, 2026

"Celebrity Traitors managed to turn Alan Carr into a manipulative serial killer," host Greg Davies deadpanned, adding: "We all know he's a good person".

From BBC May 10, 2026

But the historical record makes Homo sapiens look like an ecological serial killer.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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