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Showing results for make a killing. Search instead for sheep killing.
Synonyms

make a killing

Idioms  
  1. Enjoy a large and quick profit, as in They made a killing in real estate. This expression alludes to a hunter's success. [Slang; late 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.

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“You’re outpacing inflation, which is good, but you’re not going to make a killing off it,” says Cory Windelspecht.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 16, 2026

When it comes to making money as a director, Chapman’s Jones quoted the adage, “You can make a killing, but you can’t make a living.”

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 2, 2023

The documentary “The Pez Outlaw” follows the adventures of Steve Glew, a Michigan man who tried to make a killing by trafficking in rare European Pez dispensers until he ran afoul of the company bureaucracy.

From Washington Post Oct. 20, 2022

Though local markets differ, empty nesters hoping to make a killing on the sale of the family home may be disappointed.

From New York Times Sep. 9, 2022

I dont want to make a killing; save that to suck in the smart gamblers with.

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

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