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
Fatu annihilated Reigns with another vicious clothesline and tossed him shoulder-first into the steel ring post.
—
Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Instead of a withering blast that annihilates you instantly, the real killer would be a highly elevated risk of cancer and degenerative diseases over time.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
One compelling hypothesis is that dark matter particles in the dense central halo are interacting with and annihilating one another, releasing energy as gamma rays.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
But that doesn’t mean we never get stuck in the dark corners of our pasts, tempting our regrets to rise up and annihilate us.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Instead of a withering blast that annihilates you instantly, the real killer would be a highly elevated risk of cancer and degenerative diseases over time.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
One compelling hypothesis is that dark matter particles in the dense central halo are interacting with and annihilating one another, releasing energy as gamma rays.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
But that doesn’t mean we never get stuck in the dark corners of our pasts, tempting our regrets to rise up and annihilate us.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilate
Verb
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How did the United States eradicate them?—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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For an easy summer cleaning tip, wash towels in hot water and toss 1/2 cup of baking soda into the rinse cycle to eradicate stale scents.—
Emerson Latham,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Fueled by large stocks of critically dry vegetation and extreme winds, the fires killed 31 people, destroyed nearly 12,000 homes, and forced over 150,000 evacuations.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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But satellite images reviewed by CNN show how Iran has used simple equipment such as bulldozers and dump trucks to counter those costly campaigns — suggesting that Tehran’s missile capabilities can’t be destroyed just by targeting tunnel entrances, experts said.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Everyone has a personal obstacle, but not everyone can overcome and survive those obstacles.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
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Over time, however, your pancreas may no longer be able to produce enough insulin to overcome insulin resistance.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and the Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 on Wednesday night.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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Her belief in a universal truth was not unique, but her pursuit of it was relentless and oddly self-erasing.—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Two other properties were purchased in 2024, one of which was a barbershop that was demolished, and a third property was purchased in 2025.—
Delia Rose Sauer,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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Before filing plans to demolish the building within the next two weeks, Kennedy planned Thursday night’s event to honor the structure.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The widow has had to tolerate enough of this woman and her husband’s affair and should be allowed to bury him in peace.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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Kai Havertz had buried the first shot of the game into PSG’s net, giving Arsenal a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute of the game.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
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And actually one of his first public acts after signing the Constitution was to petition Congress to abolish slavery.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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Avila Chevalier’s campaign priorities also include abolishing ICE, adding affordable housing and securing federal funds to repair the city’s public housing.—
Joseph Strauss,
Sun Sentinel,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Our house, ruined by the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, was rebuilt from the foundation up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilate. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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