death squad
nounDefinition of death squad
: any of various extremist groups whose members kill suspected political adversaries and criminals
Examples of death squad in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This office recently reported on death squads in Venezuela, which are part of the government’s strategy: The Maduro government uses these squads to silence — to kill — political opponents, who are made to be seen to have resisted arrest. — Nr Editors, National Review, "The Week," 11 July 2019 In El Salvador, the U.S. provided funds, training and support to governments and military forces linked to death squads that murdered tens of thousands of civilians from 1978 to 1992. — Mark Weisbrot, The New Republic, "Tariffs Are a Bad Response to an Imaginary Border Crisis," 5 June 2019 Wellington families now spend weekend afternoons acting as rodent death squads, setting and clearing rat traps. — Charlie Hamilton James, National Geographic, "How rats became an inescapable part of city living," 17 June 2019 A decade later Santiago Uribe is now on trial for leading a death squad known as the 12 Apostles. — Washington Post, "Ex-rebel looks to defy odds in Colombia presidential race," 16 June 2018 But Jünger’s colleagues at the Majestic also included Werner Best, the Gestapo officer who had initiated a registry of German Jews and was to organize Einsatzgruppen death squads in eastern Europe. — Dominic Green, WSJ, "‘A German Officer in Occupied Paris’ Review: A Very Refined Occupation," 15 Feb. 2019 Founded by a family whose members once belonged to death squads that roamed this banana-growing region, the Clan has units in several regions and hundreds of men, many armed with assault rifles and land mines. — Juan Forero, WSJ, "Where Colombian Rebels Once Ruled, Drug Gangs Now Fight for Control," 16 July 2018 Many who fear being nabbed by death squads have also fled to El Salvador, Honduras and Florida. — Maria Verza, The Seattle Times, "In Nicaragua, political violence spurs migration," 25 Oct. 2018 In 2011 Patrícia Acioli, a judge who jailed around 60 police officers belonging to militias and death squads, was shot dead. — The Economist, "Mourning MarielleLessons from a murder in Rio de Janeiro," 22 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'death squad.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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