extinguish
verb
ex·tin·guish
ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 
extinguished; extinguishing; extinguishes
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
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 fire was eventually extinguished by responding police.
—
Landon Mion, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
Responding to a lawsuit last year that Maui County filed against the utility, Hawaiian Electric blamed the county for failing to fully extinguish that fire, which the utility said was reignited and the cause of the blaze that destroyed Lahaina.
—Anumita Kaur, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
Firefighters had to cut into the structure through layers of insulation and rubber to extinguish the fire that was smoldering within, Flood said.
—Stacy Ryburn, arkansasonline.com, 15 Apr. 2024
Much of it had been damaged by the fire or the effort to extinguish it.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024
Oakland and Alameda fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze and ushered drivers and passengers to safety, according to authorities.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Last week, the CPSC warned customers of the risk of injury, burns, smoke inhalation, and death associated with the use of Elide’s Fire Extinguishing Balls, stating that the products can fail to extinguish a fire.
—Jody Serrano / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
The Wages of Fear: In a desperate bid to extinguish a fiery oil well, a team is tasked with transporting explosives across hostile territories, navigating armed rebels, minefields, and treacherous terrain under a tight deadline.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The Burlington Fire Department fire crews quickly responded to the fire and extinguished the flames, officials said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Landon Mion, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
Responding to a lawsuit last year that Maui County filed against the utility, Hawaiian Electric blamed the county for failing to fully extinguish that fire, which the utility said was reignited and the cause of the blaze that destroyed Lahaina.
—Anumita Kaur, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
Firefighters had to cut into the structure through layers of insulation and rubber to extinguish the fire that was smoldering within, Flood said.
—Stacy Ryburn, arkansasonline.com, 15 Apr. 2024
Much of it had been damaged by the fire or the effort to extinguish it.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024
Oakland and Alameda fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze and ushered drivers and passengers to safety, according to authorities.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Last week, the CPSC warned customers of the risk of injury, burns, smoke inhalation, and death associated with the use of Elide’s Fire Extinguishing Balls, stating that the products can fail to extinguish a fire.
—Jody Serrano / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
The Wages of Fear: In a desperate bid to extinguish a fiery oil well, a team is tasked with transporting explosives across hostile territories, navigating armed rebels, minefields, and treacherous terrain under a tight deadline.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The Burlington Fire Department fire crews quickly responded to the fire and extinguished the flames, officials said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'extinguish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near extinguish
Cite this Entry
“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinguish. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
extinguish
verb
ex·tin·guish
ik-ˈstiŋ-gwish
1
: to cause to stop burning
2
: to cause to die out
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
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