obliterate

verb

ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrāt How to pronounce obliterate (audio)
Definition of obliteratenext
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of in a stroke, the March snowstorm obliterated our hopes for an early spring

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obliterate That $750,000 first feature has obliterated all box-office expectations, grossing a staggering $488 million worldwide to become the industry’s biggest success story. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026 The Drive can confirm the Ford Mustang GTD Competition that obliterated the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X’s Nurburgring lap record was in fact rolling on street-legal tires. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026 Today, for a few brief moments, some one billion people experienced partly or fully dark skies as the moon passes directly in front of our star, obliterating its light. — Claire Cameron & Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026 Walter’s agreement to purchase a controlling stake in the Lakers at the $10 billion valuation last summer obliterated that mark, and now Iger and Kushner have pushed the bar even higher. — Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obliterate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliterate
  1. eradicate
  2. erase
  3. abolish
  4. destroy
Verb
  • Scientists have been fighting a losing battle to eradicate them from sensitive ecosystems in South Florida.
    — Alex Harris August 25, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • How to Get Rid of Bermuda Grass Bermuda grass can take years to eradicate once it’s established, says Rossi.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of eradicate
Verb
  • But some say that doesn't erase concerns about how the technology can be used.
    — Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • As an example, Toyota did not dominate the automobile era simply by building a better engine, nor could competitors erase its advantage merely by sourcing comparable components.
    — Bratin Saha, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of erase
Verb
  • While his party debates abolishing prisons and owning grocery stores, Democratic Mayor Daniel Lurie is cleaning up his city.
    — Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Alabama has since abolished judicial override, the practice that allowed judges to order the state to kill a person even though a jury of one’s peers requested otherwise.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • Almost 50 homes and other structures have been destroyed so far; there have been several injuries, and one of Tibbetts’s neighbors lost 20 German shepherds.
    — Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The flood then destroyed roads and knocked out power and phone networks, leaving families unable to establish even the most basic facts.
    — Laura Saravia, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

obliquity
obliterate
obliterated
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Cite this Entry

“Obliterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliterate. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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