[Horffupolde]

Suicide is a verb and result by itself. Would the author also say “he died by murder”?

[ellisv]

They are simplify avoiding using the word "committed" using a well accepted alternative because of the connotation with criminal behavior.

But no they would say "died by homicide" not "died by murder".

[docdeek]

Would they not say "was killed" and so allow "killed himself/herself"?

[Tostino]

Maybe "were driven to suicide by..." to properly describe the situation?

[arrowsmith]

> Suicide is a verb

Not in English. Although it's a verb in many languages, which is why "he suicided" is a common ESL mistake.

[cjs_ac]

This trend for commenting on news articles with nothing to say but a complaint about the wording of the headline is tedious. The right to free speech does not impose a responsibility to say something about everything you see.

[thoroughburro]

Your argument is that the wording of headlines is so meaningless as to always be beneath comment? Seems silly.

[bendigedig]

I think you're missing the point by a mile. The point isn't some tedious debate over grammar; it's about the choice of language that perpetuates the idea that suicide is a tragedy that happens passively 'to people' in some kind of tragic, medicalised, incomprehensible way which is severed from any socio-political context.

In this case, these people were driven to suicide. I would argue that those responsible for the Horizon scandal are guilty of at minimum manslaughter of these poor people.

[CoastalCoder]

Language evolves, like it or not.

In 2025 English, suicide is most commonly a noun.

[bigstrat2003]

Suicide has never been a verb in English in my 40 years on this earth. The OP claiming it is a verb is... really odd.

[whycome]

There’s probably a near future where “unalived” becomes an unironic and accepted descriptor.

[foldr]

> Suicide is a verb

No it isn’t. You can’t say “He suicided.”