docker kill: Force-Stop Containers with a Signal

Stop a container immediately by sending it a signal.

docker kill sends a signal (SIGKILL by default) to the main process of a container with no grace period. This page covers custom signals and when to prefer it over docker stop.

What it does

docker kill delivers a signal straight to the container main process. Unlike docker stop it does not wait - SIGKILL terminates immediately. Use --signal to send something else, like SIGINT or SIGHUP.

Common usage

Terminal

docker kill web
docker kill --signal=SIGINT web
docker kill $(docker ps -q)             # kill all running

Common errors in CI

"Cannot kill container: ... is not running" means it already exited. Prefer docker stop in CI cleanup so apps flush and shut down cleanly; reach for docker kill only when a container ignores SIGTERM and stop is too slow. SIGKILL gives the process no chance to clean up, which can leave temp state behind.

Related guides

docker stop: Gracefully Stop ContainersHow docker stop works: sending SIGTERM then SIGKILL, the grace period, stopping multiple containers, and clea… docker restart: Stop and Start a ContainerHow docker restart works: stopping then starting a container, the grace-period timeout, and using it to recov… docker rm: Remove Containers & Force CleanupHow docker rm works: removing stopped containers, force-removing running ones, removing volumes, and CI clean… docker ps: List Containers, Filters & FormattingHow docker ps works: listing running and stopped containers, filters, format strings, and reading exit status…