殺す
ころす · korosu · JLPT N3 · verb-godan
to kill
🗡️ korosu sounds like corrosive: corrosion slowly kills metal
Link korosu to corrosive: rust eats away at metal until it is gone. 殺す is the everyday Japanese verb for to kill, used for people, animals, and figuratively, as in 息を殺す, to hold (literally kill) your breath.