extinguish

verb

ex·​tin·​guish ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 

extinguished; extinguishing; extinguishes

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to bring to an end : make an end of

hope for their safety was slowly extinguished

(2)

: to reduce to silence or ineffectiveness

b

: to cause to cease burning : quench

c

: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)

d

: to dim the brightness of : eclipse

2

a

: to cause to be void : nullify

extinguish a claim

b

: to get rid of usually by payment

extinguish a debt

extinguishable

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-bəl 

adjective

extinguisher

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shər 

noun

extinguishment

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• blanket
• douse
• dowse
• put out
• quench
• snuff (out)

Examples of extinguish in a Sentence

The fire department was called in to extinguish the blaze.

He extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray.

They ruthlessly extinguished all resistance.

News of the conflict extinguished our hopes for a peaceful resolution.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Burlington Fire Department fire crews quickly responded to the fire and extinguished the flames, officials said. —Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024

Witnesses extinguished the fire before officers arrived. —Jason Green, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024

Crews entered the home to try and extinguish the fire, but a few minutes later they were ordered to evacuate, LFD said. —Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2024

Transportation authority cameras showed the bridge lights extinguishing. Transportation Authority police radio captured responders moving to evacuate and halt traffic on the bridge after a dispatcher said a ship had lost its steering, according to Broadcastify. —Ray Sanchez, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

The Rochester Fire Department responded to extinguish the flames. —Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024

Sacramento firefighters were still extinguishing hot spots by 10 a.m. —Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024

The fire was extinguished by 5:20 p.m., Carnival said, including flames from a portion of the funnel that broke off and fell onto one of the ship decks. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024

While the lack of a quorum extinguished Antioch’s discussion on a ceasefire resolution, the matter has been taken up by other Bay Area cities. —Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin exstinguere (from ex- + stinguere to extinguish) + English -ish (as in abolish); akin to Latin instigare to incite — more at stick

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Kids Definition

extinguish

verb

ex·​tin·​guish ik-ˈstiŋ-gwish 

1

: to cause to stop burning

2

: to cause to die out

extinguishable

-ə-bəl 

adjective

extinguisher noun

Medical Definition

extinguish

transitive verb

ex·​tin·​guish ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 

: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)

extinguish an avoidance response

Legal Definition

extinguish

transitive verb

ex·​tin·​guish

1

: to cause the nonexistence of : do away with

2

: to cause (as a claim or right) to be void : nullify

3

: to get rid of (a debt or other liability) by payment or other compensatory adjustment

extinguishable adjective

extinguishment noun