kill
verb (used with object)
to deprive of life in any manner; cause the death of; slay.
were killing
-
past progressiveof kill.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
When, in 2014, Macquarie Island was finally cleared of rabbits, rats, mice and feral cats, which were killing 60,000 seabirds annually, populations rebounded to about 3.5 million seabirds of 13 species.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
“If we were killing animals, we’d never be making any money,” Salomon told the Daily Mail Online in coverage of PETA’s investigation.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2025
In the same speech, he said that when snipers were killing American soldiers in Afghanistan he spoke with the Taliban leader:
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2024
Though the suit was everything he had hoped for, his shoes were killing him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2023
For answer, Sissy let out a blood-curdling yell and said that her pains were killing her.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
