seppuku
noun
sep·pu·ku
se-ˈpü-(ˌ)kü 
ˈse-pə-ˌkü
: hara-kiri sense 1
Mishima went back into the building, knelt on the floor and disemboweled himself with a samurai dagger in the ancient rite of seppuku.—
Tracy Dahlby
Tracy DahlbySeppuku remains a favorite theme in dramas and movies but has virtually disappeared from real life.—Edwin O. Reischauer
Edwin O. ReischauerExamples of seppuku in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What was the atmosphere on set like for your seppuku scene?
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2024
One of the most challenging moments came in Episode 9, where Anna Sawai’s Mariko prepares to commit seppuku.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
Is the show's depiction of seppuku historically accurate?
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Well, the details are totally different — like, no one’s committing seppuku with swords nowadays — but the politics of it are very much relevant.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024
Beyond the characters, there’s the show’s consideration of seppuku.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024
During a meeting of the Council of Regents, one of Toranaga's samurai crosses a line and is forced to pledge seppuku to defuse the situation.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2024
Corporate seppuku: destroying your own product or brand.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 24 July 2023
Letting out a loud scream, the samurai lifts his sword to decapitate Nobunaga, completing the warlord’s ritual suicide, or seppuku.
—Jacquelyne Germain, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2023
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2024
One of the most challenging moments came in Episode 9, where Anna Sawai’s Mariko prepares to commit seppuku.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
Is the show's depiction of seppuku historically accurate?
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Well, the details are totally different — like, no one’s committing seppuku with swords nowadays — but the politics of it are very much relevant.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024
Beyond the characters, there’s the show’s consideration of seppuku.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024
During a meeting of the Council of Regents, one of Toranaga's samurai crosses a line and is forced to pledge seppuku to defuse the situation.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2024
Corporate seppuku: destroying your own product or brand.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 24 July 2023
Letting out a loud scream, the samurai lifts his sword to decapitate Nobunaga, completing the warlord’s ritual suicide, or seppuku.
—Jacquelyne Germain, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seppuku.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Seppuku.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seppuku. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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