1. plural of lynching; illegal executions carried out by mobs without legal trial, especially by hanging
Usage: historical; refers to extrajudicial killings

Examples

• The museum documented the history of lynchings in the American South.
• Civil rights activists worked to end the practice of lynchings.
• Historical records show that lynchings peaked in the late 1800s.
• The anti-lynching movement gained momentum in the early 20th century.
• Newspapers from that era often reported on lynchings in rural areas.
• The memorial honors victims of racial lynchings.
• Federal legislation was eventually passed to make lynchings a federal crime.