lynch
v. C2 Proficiency US //ˈɫɪntʃ// UK //lˈɪntʃ// lynch
v. to kill someone for a crime they are thought to have committed, without a legal trial. This is usually done by a large, angry group of people.
v. to execute someone summarily without legal authority, typically by a mob. Transitive — requires a direct object.
The angry crowd threatened to lynch the suspect.
The prisoner was moved to a secret location to prevent the mob from trying to lynch him before the trial.
Historical accounts of the region detail how local mobs would frequently lynch those accused of minor crimes, bypassing the judicial system entirely to satisfy a collective desire for immediate vengeance.
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.