Collocations for "kill"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "kill" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
kill
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.v
- kill [an innocent person, an insect, a deer, a person]
- killed him with a [knife, pistol]
- was killed with a [knife]
- [thousands] were killed
- killed by [a gunman, sniper fire, her former boyfriend]
- killed by the [police, military]
- killed in [action, the war, an earthquake]
- killed in [Iraq]
- was killed over [an argument, his fortune, her opinions]
- [shot, wounded, injured] and killed
- kill yourself [trying, working, worrying]
- kill for [love, hate, passion]
- kill the enemy (troops)
- kill your [body, liver]
- kill the [bacteria, virus, cancer, germs]
- kill off [the population, thousands, the opposition]
- kill the [car, engine]
- threatened to kill
- [shall, will, tried] not to kill
- kill and [clean, eat]
- kill [the moment, his passion]
- kill time (by)
- have time to kill
- would kill to [have, get, see]
- would kill for [the chance, a cigarette]
- killed our [chances, hopes, ambitions]
- slang: you killed it!
- slang: he's killing it!
- [move in, go] for the kill
- ready to make the kill
- the [tigers, wolves] ate their kill
- were feeding on their kill
- protected their kill
- gaming: [got, stole] the kill
- gaming: who [got] the kill?
- gaming: have [nine] kills
- hit the kill switch
- pull the kill lever
- is on his kill list
'kill' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
a little
- aim
- attack
- attempt
- bird
- captive
- claw
- cockroach
- cougar
- dangerous
- dart
- don
- dress
- fate
- foe
- gangster
- hawk
- hurt
- ignition
- kindness
- license
- look
- louse
- maggot
- meat
- mosquito
- pest
- pig
- plot
- poison
- prime
- raccoon
- rat
- romance
- saber
- shoot
- sight
- snare
- spray
- spy
- sworn
- threaten
- vampire
- wasp
- whale
- wired
- wolf
- zombie