How to Use slay in a Sentence

slay

verb
  • The knight slew the dragon.
  • The Bear hasn’t been slayed quite yet.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2025
  • She was found slain in a dump days later.
    — Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Instead, Smith was slain in a shootout.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2026
  • The team that comes out of nowhere to beat the buzzer and slay the giant.
    — Andy Staples, SI.com, 22 Mar. 2018
  • All of them were slain by ICE agents.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Some of us are blessed with hands that can slay hair, beat faces or design clothes.
    — Essence, 2 Jan. 2026
  • So, who will sashay away and who will live to slay another day?
    — oregonlive, 25 Feb. 2022
  • Scores of priests were slain during the mass killing of civilians.
    — Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2023
  • The pair were slain about four hours later in a shootout with police.
    — NBC News, 3 Apr. 2018
  • Moviegoers yearn for demons to be slayed.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Mom, pregnant teen and boy slain at home as cops hunt suspects with plan.
    — FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Belief slayed the Elite Eight demons.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Only Queen Bey can scare and slay this much at the same time.
    — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, 30 June 2017
  • The child, a 7-month-old boy, was found slain in another state.
    — Michael Melia, Fox News, 13 Apr. 2018
  • Play this one real loud and bounce into the weekend ready to slay.
    — Katie Bain, Billboard, 19 Aug. 2022
  • The bride-to-be, of course, slayed in a white one-piece with matching floral veil.
    — Jasmine Grant, Essence, 29 July 2019
  • Monday is a chance to slay some of their infamous medal round demons.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
  • Men and boys have been targeted and slain on ethnic grounds.
    — Jade Walker, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Finally, the story came to the point where the imam was slain.
    — The Economist, 28 Jan. 2020
  • Judging from this sneak peek, the Stranger Things crew is poised to slay.
    — Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 25 May 2017
  • There are windmills to slay, crises to fabricate, rings to kiss.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Now, the roles are reversed and he’s tasked with slaying the giant.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
  • Ahead of this year’s fest, THR looks back on five green looks that slayed.
    — Fawnia Soo Hoo, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2023
  • Jace is then slain by enemy arrows.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026
  • Finney had to slay the dragon, while Hiccup has to spare the dragon.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025
  • Pretti and Good were both slain by federal agents on the streets of the city.
    — Cathy Applefeld Olson, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Apollo, god of light and music, slew the serpent and took over the site for himself.
    — National Geographic, 12 Mar. 2019
  • That thing would absolutely slay in the back of the Uber on the way out for the night.
    — Stephen Daw, Billboard, 9 Aug. 2022
  • Turns out it’s filled with demons to slay, and the goal is to find a key to unlock an exit in the backyard.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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