# soft kill

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/soft-kill
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A murder that does not leave behind any physical evidence, because the perpetrator carried out the crime by using their bare hands, as opposed to a weapon.

## Examples

- The spy performed a soft kill to avoid leaving any evidence.
- The assassin chose a soft kill, ensuring the victim showed no signs of a struggle or weapon use.
- By executing a precise soft kill, the operative ensured the death appeared entirely natural, thereby leaving the authorities with no physical evidence to investigate.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.