hara-kiri

noun

variants also hari-kari
Definition of hara-kirinext
as in suicide

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hara-kiri He was struck by the show’s exploration of hara-kiri, the Japanese ritual suicide. — Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 18 May 2025 The film depicts the historical ‘Honno-ji Incident’ from 1582, when a key vassal of Oda Nobunaga rose in revolt and caused his master to commit hara-kiri in Kyoto. — Mark Schilling, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hara-kiri
  1. murder
  2. homicide
  3. slaying
  4. self-murder
  5. foul play
Noun
  • The 63-year-old Davis was convicted Monday of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and could be sentenced to life in prison.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in the January 2023 strangulation deaths of her three children – Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months – at the family's Duxbury, Massachusetts, home.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of murder
Noun
  • Troopers from the New Jersey State Police Marine Bureau arrested Kevin Wells, 40, of Warren, New Jersey, on Friday, charging him with vehicular homicide and two counts of assault by vessel while intoxicated.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The 10-episode drama stars Liev Schreiber as Jonah Lynn, a former soldier turned homicide detective who moves to a small town in western Pennsylvania after working the tough streets of Philadelphia.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of homicide
Noun
  • Charges were unsealed last week against one shooter in a deadly Gary gas station slaying, records show.
    — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Jake Reiner opens up about his parents’ slaying and his brother’s arrest.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of slaying
Noun
  • She is charged with first-degree murder and assisting self-murder, which in Florida is treated like a manslaughter offense.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • She has been charged with first-degree murder and assisting self-murder, a second-degree felony in Florida punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison.
    — Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026
Definition of self-murder
Noun
  • Police said there does not appear to be any indication of foul play and that the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office was notified.
    — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Hannah says the family does not suspect that Jenny died by suicide and believes what happened was likely either foul play or a freak accident.
    — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of foul play

Browse Nearby Words

haps
hara-kiri
hara-kiris
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Cite this Entry

“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hara-kiri. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hara-kiri

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hara-kiri

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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