night of the long knives

noun

A purge, in which opponents of a regime or political party are killed or removed.

OriginGerman Nacht der langen Messer →
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Meanings

night of the long knives1

nounnight of the long knives (plural nights of the long knives)

plural nights of the long knives · alternative night of long knives · alternative Night of Long Knives · alternative Night of the Long Knives

  1. A purge, in which opponents of a regime or political party are killed or removed.

    […] who understand 2008 NHS dynamics, and while some trusts have to strengthen their line-ups during the course of the application process, I would counsel against dramatic nights of the long knives.

    2008, The Health Service Journal
    4 more examples

    (It was to precede yet another night of the long knives—this one of Republican knives honed up for Truman and the new Truman-Democratic Party. But this latter would in some ways be actually a manifestation of secondary importance.)

    1961, William Smith White, Majesty & mischief: a mixed tribute to F.D.R., page 77

    Although the business world has its “nights of the long knives,” the affluent are generally reluctant to be totally ruthless either in competition with one another or against individuals of lesser financial standing.

    1970, Investors Chronicle and Stock Exchange Gazette, volume 13, page 11

    […] was unable to fight, Americans didn't understand the Vietnamese, all whites must encourage only selected Vietnamese loyal to the French because the remainder would turn against all whites in another "night of the long knives" similar to that of 1946.

    1971, United States Dept. of Defense, United States House Committee on Armed Services, United States-Vietnam relations, 1945-1967: study, page 29

    […] while the architects watched hopelessly and helplessly. Again, it was a group of young Nigerian revolutionaries in military uniform who rushed to the rescue and tried to save the country from the experience of another night of the long knives.

    1988, Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo, The power dynamics of the Nigerian society: people, politics and power, page 17

Night of the Long Knives2

nounNight of the Long Knives (plural Nights of the Long Knives)

plural Nights of the Long Knives

  1. Alternative letter-case form of night of the long knives (“purge”)
    1. specificallyThe violent purge against the Sturmabteilung ordered by the leadership of Nazi Party in 1934.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
night of long knives

Origin

night of the long knives · noun

  1. GermanNacht der langen Messer
  2. Englishnight of the long knives

Calque of German Nacht der langen Messer, which see for more. In English it tied in with earlier uses of the motif of long knives, as in phrases like the Treachery of the Long Knives (a pseudohistorical massacre of Celts by Anglo-Saxons), used since at least the 1800s.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Night of the Long Knives · noun

See night of the long knives.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 長刀之夜 /长刀之夜
  • 長刀之夜 /长刀之夜purge
German Nacht der langen Messer
  • Nacht der langen Messerpurge
Polish noc długich noży
  • noc długich nożypurge
Cite this entry
APA

night of the long knives. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/night%20of%20the%20long%20knives

MLA

“night of the long knives.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/night%20of%20the%20long%20knives. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “night of the long knives,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/night%20of%20the%20long%20knives.

Source: night of the long knives on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.