1 hangman | Definition of hangman

hangman

noun
hang·​man | \ ˈhaÅ‹-mÉ™n How to pronounce hangman (audio) \

Definition of hangman

1 : one who hangs a condemned person also : a public executioner
2 : a game in which the object is for one player to guess the letters of an unknown word before the player who knows the word creates a stick figure of a hanged man by drawing one line for each incorrect guess

Examples of hangman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There was a hangman’s gallows, and there was a hemp rope tied into a noose that was placed around my neck. Clark Collis, EW.com, "Snakes, sandstorms, and strangulation: The making of 1999's The Mummy," 14 Aug. 2019 There was a hangman’s gallows, and there was a hemp rope tied into a noose that was placed around my neck. Clark Collis, EW.com, "Brendan Fraser got 'fully choked-out' shooting The Mummy," 23 July 2019 Among the items: a Nazi swastika pendant, and a hangman’s noose decal, a cross burning baby onesie. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, "Amazon blasted for offering merchandise promoting white supremacy," 6 July 2018 The company also referred to hangman as a common children’s game. OregonLive.com, "Oregon's 2017 lawsuits: Tragedy, fed-up consumers, a rowdy Easter egg hunt," 6 Jan. 2018 More than a hundred thousand people have also disappeared in the government's detention network, with many believed to have died through neglect or the hangman's noose. Louisa Loveluck, chicagotribune.com, "Syrian army raises flag above city considered birthplace of uprising against Assad," 12 July 2018 Kids can doodle, scribble, draw, and play tic-tac-toe, hangman, or any number of drawing games with these tablets. Sunset, "10 Car Games for Kids That Don’t Involve Screens," 22 Jan. 2018 Just before her purge, Lively had posted a series of pictures of a game of hangman. Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Blake Lively Is Back on Instagram After Purging Her Account," 2 May 2018 The mob took him from the jail at 1:15 a.m. and led about a mile outside of Burlington to the hangman's tree. Mark Curnutte, Cincinnati.com, "Confederate anger, geography led to 8 lynchings in Boone County in 1870s and 1880s," 30 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hangman.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of hangman

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for hangman

hangman

noun
hang·​man | \ ˈhaÅ‹-mÉ™n How to pronounce hangman (audio) \
plural hangmen\ -​mÉ™n \

Kids Definition of hangman

: a person who hangs criminals

More from Merriam-Webster on hangman

Spanish Central: Translation of hangman

Nglish: Translation of hangman for Spanish Speakers