Word Finder - deathblow

definition

A strike or blow that leads to death, especially a coup de grace.

definition

Something that prevents the completion, or ends the existence, of a project etc.; a fatal setback.

example

The opening of the bridge dealt a deathblow to the ferry.

As it was, his refusal to play this part gave the deathblow to the parliament and to all hope of the immediate creation of a united Germany.

In other words, Ney had merely to hold Wellington with part of the French left wing all day, and detach the remainder of his force to co-operate in the deathblow at Ligny.

The conclusion in 1838 of a commercial treaty with Turkey, negotiated by Sir Henry Bulwer (Lord Dalling), struck a deathblow to the system of monopolies, though the application of the treaty to Egypt was delayed for some years.

His example and his death acted like an inspiration, filling Africa with an army of explorers and missionaries, and raising in Europe so powerful a feeling against the slave trade that through him it may be considered as having received its deathblow.

The defection of his favorite son John gave Henry his deathblow, and Philip Augustus found himself confronted by a new Phil!

Things were ready for the deathblow; the priest noticed the bandage on his left hand forefinger.

The emperor having beaten Blucher, the latter must fall back to rally and re-form, and call in Billow, who had only reached the neighbourhood of Gembloux on June 16; whilst on the other flank Ney, reinforced by D'Erlon's fresh corps, lay in front of Wellington, and the marshal could fasten upon the Anglo-Dutch army and hold it fast during the early morning of June 17, sufficiently long to allow the emperor to close round his foe's open left flank and deal him a deathblow.

An ardent opponent of Catholic Emancipation, he delivered in 1807 a speech on the subject which helped to give the deathblow to the Grenville administration, upon which he became chancellor of the exchequer under the duke of Portland, whom in 1809 he succeeded in the premiership. Notwithstanding that he had the assistance in the cabinet of no statesman of the first rank, he succeeded in retaining office till he was shot by a man named Bellingham, a bankrupt with a grievance, who had vainly applied to him for redress, in the lobby of the House of Commons on the 11th of May 1812.

In the long reign of his son Manasseh later writers saw the deathblow to the Judaean kingdom.

But mysticism and political servility between them gave the deathblow to chiliasm in the Greek Church.