1
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
the family's attempts to annihilate the roach population in their apartment had met with little success
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the tornado simply annihilated the family's home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to overcome
to defeat by a large margin
we didn't just win; we absolutely annihilated them!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of annihilate
If a president’s dire threats to annihilate a civilization can instantaneously go global, so too can videos of fans on their hands and knees, filling trash bags.
—
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 1 June 2026
If Neptune did have an original set of moons that more closely resembled those of its planetary neighbors, the arrival of Triton — which is just smaller than our own moon — would have wreaked havoc, crashing into the other satellites and annihilating some of them.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Now southern Republicans are annihilating Black political power.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
Fatu annihilated Reigns with another vicious clothesline and tossed him shoulder-first into the steel ring post.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 1 June 2026
If Neptune did have an original set of moons that more closely resembled those of its planetary neighbors, the arrival of Triton — which is just smaller than our own moon — would have wreaked havoc, crashing into the other satellites and annihilating some of them.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Now southern Republicans are annihilating Black political power.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
Fatu annihilated Reigns with another vicious clothesline and tossed him shoulder-first into the steel ring post.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilate
Verb
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It was eradicated in the United States in the 1960s, in Mexico in the 1970s, and much of Central America in the early 2000s, according to the CDC.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
Screwworms were eradicated from the US Southwest in 1966, though Texas continued to struggle with outbreaks into the 1980s.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
Verb
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In July 1936, anarchists set fire to the church’s crypt and broke into the architect’s workshop before destroying many of his plans and plaster models.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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The Russian president, who has never acknowledged that Ukraine is a legitimate country, or that Zelensky is its legitimate president, could continue to bomb Ukrainian cities, hoping to destroy the electrical grid and make the country unlivable.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Verb
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The pair became friends, and Hasley went on to help write a book about Jenner’s philosophy on overcoming adversity in sports and life.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
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Macron and Merz had tried for months to salvage the project and overcome differences between Airbus and Dassault.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
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These Knicks, who erased a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter against Cleveland in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, just don’t quit.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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The magic on the pitch during the World Cup has a way of erasing everything that happens off it – for better or worse.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
After considerable debate, the city demolished the building in March 2026.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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The committee’s meetings were sometimes contentious, with one of the toughest debates being whether the nightclub would be demolished or preserved in part.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Islamic law requires the deceased to be buried as soon as possible, and ideally within 24 hours of death, but exceptions are allowed, for example in time of war.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 June 2026
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He’ll be buried there at the Imam Reza Shrine, considered the holiest place among Shiite devotees.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Calls for the Department of Homeland Security to be abolished and pushback on gang databases ignore the real threats to our communities.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
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For example, Gonzales wants to abolish the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Years earlier, in 2001, the undercover detective involved claimed her career had been ruined by the case, and received around $166,000 in an out-of-court settlement, per the BBC.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
7 June 2026
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Think about it the next time a presidential rant ruins your coffee.—
Steven Andreasen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilate. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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