How to Use the death penalty in a Sentence

the death penalty

noun
  • And this one needs the death penalty.
    — Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The state waived the death penalty.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The state waived the death penalty.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 June 2026
  • Carter has said his office will not waive the death penalty.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
  • Georgia sought the death penalty in his case.
    — Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • His alleged killer now faces the death penalty.
    — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Jurors again gave him the death penalty.
    — Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
  • If found guilty, the 64-year-old could face the death penalty.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
  • That charge carries the death penalty.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Kearse again drew the death penalty in 1997.
    — Freida Frisaro, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The new federal charges put him at risk of the death penalty.
    — Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
  • And by the inequity in which the death penalty is handed down.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Utah has filed notice of intent to seek the death penalty.
    — Amanda Castro hannah Parry joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Utah is one of 21 states that allow the death penalty.
    — Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
  • With the guilty verdict, the trial now goes to the death penalty phase.
    — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Darrow, a staunch critic of the death penalty, agreed to take the case.
    — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 May 2024
  • Thompson did not face the death penalty given his age at the time of the crimes.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Should Reiner face the death penalty?
    — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Utah is seeking the death penalty against the suspect.
    — Filip Timotija, The Hill, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Those sentences were changed to life in prison when the state overturned the death penalty.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 31 July 2025
  • Others tried to find rationale in the death penalty once faced with it.
    — Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 20 May 2026
  • By law, the leader of a rebellion can face life in prison or the death penalty.
    — Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
  • If convicted, Yoon could face the death penalty or life in prison.
    — Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Rodriguez could face the death penalty or life in prison if he is convicted.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 4 Feb. 2026
  • If convicted, Nick could face life in prison or even the death penalty.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
  • If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison or the death penalty.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 24 June 2026
  • Torture was common in prisons, and dozens of crimes brought the death penalty.
    — The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Kansas did not have the death penalty during the time of his killings, per the outlet.
    — Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Arizona is one of 27 states where the death penalty is still legal.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 Apr. 2026
  • That's due to common-sense gun laws, not the abolishment of the death penalty.
    — Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the death penalty.' 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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