annihilate
verb
an·ni·hi·late
ə-ˈnī-ə-ˌlāt 
annihilated; annihilating
1
a
: to cause to cease to exist : to do away with entirely so that nothing remains
b
: to destroy a considerable part of
Bombs annihilated the city.
The enemy troops were annihilated.
c
: to defeat overwhelmingly : rout
annihilated the visitors 56–0
2
a
: to cause to be of no effect : nullify
a right to freedom that cannot be annihilated
b
: to destroy the substance or force of
Fear can annihilate one's confidence.
3
: to regard as of no consequence
4
: to cause (something, such as a particle and its antiparticle) to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (such as photons)
matter and antimatter annihilate each other
of a particle and its antiparticle
: to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (such as photons)
Examples of annihilate in a Sentence
The enemy troops were annihilated.
He annihilated his opponent in the last election.
Recent Examples on the Web
The region has been on edge for the past two years as Israel seeks to annihilate the Hamas group, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where war still rages after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
—
Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
The universe seems stable, but an unlikely shift in the Higgs field, a quantum field that pervades all of space, could trigger a bubble that passes through the universe, annihilating all matter.
—Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American, 3 June 2025
Back in 1994, the Rossoneri had gone into the final as clear underdogs but annihilated Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team 4-0 to lift European club soccer’s biggest prize for the fifth time.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
During an interview with Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, earlier this year, Musk was asked how real the prospect was of killer robots annihilating humanity.
—Matthew Purdy, New York Times, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
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Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
The universe seems stable, but an unlikely shift in the Higgs field, a quantum field that pervades all of space, could trigger a bubble that passes through the universe, annihilating all matter.
—Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American, 3 June 2025
Back in 1994, the Rossoneri had gone into the final as clear underdogs but annihilated Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team 4-0 to lift European club soccer’s biggest prize for the fifth time.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
During an interview with Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, earlier this year, Musk was asked how real the prospect was of killer robots annihilating humanity.
—Matthew Purdy, New York Times, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Cite this Entry
“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annihilate. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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