ANNIHILATE Synonyms: 244 Similar and Opposite Words

annihilate

verb

ə-ˈnī-ə-ˌlāt

Definition of annihilate

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

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

as in to overcome

to defeat by a large margin we didn't just win; we absolutely annihilated them!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 annihilate Chess is about annihilating your opponent. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026 The boardwalk was annihilated up and down the peninsula, crushed into pieces and twisted up like a wooden snake. — Curbed Editors, Curbed, 23 June 2026 Otherwise, you get annihilated. — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 22 June 2026 The two annihilate each other, releasing energy into the cosmos. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for annihilate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilate

Verb

The woes of airplane middle seats are soon to be eradicated for some United Airlines passengers.

— Mason Leib, ABC News, 14 July 2026
But before the thylacine was fully eradicated, 13 pups of the marsupial species were preserved in alcohol.

— Taylor Dotson, Scientific American, 10 July 2026

Definition of eradicate

Verb

But there have been no exact numbers of how many missiles and drones Iran had when the war began or how many have since been used or destroyed.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Severe droughts and searing heat across vast swathes of southern Europe destroyed large parts of the olive oil harvest, culminating in a dizzying price rally that shocked industry veterans and consumers alike.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 17 July 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

After scoring in Mexico’s opening match against South Africa — his first goal at a World Cup — Jimenez was overcome with emotion on the pitch.

— Tom Burrows, New York Times, 12 July 2026
To be able to feel and touch the community of Cologne, and this person who suffered that ordeal and overcame it — and then managed to carry out the courage of her convictions with Ukrainian refugees.

— Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

Ungrounding, on the other hand, aims to remove a society from its place and erase all traces to its previous existence.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Photographs capture her outline in the mud of a creek bank; in the snow blown against a tree trunk; in an arrangement of branches and flowers leaned against a tree; and in the sand on a beach, already being erased by the waves.

— Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026

Definition of erase

Verb

West Harbor is the redevelopment of the former waterfront Ports O'Call Village, which was demolished in 2018.

— Julie Sharp, CBS News, 14 July 2026
The two-acre space was the site of the California State Building, which suffered systemic damage in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and was demolished five years later.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

Each of the women were buried in matching underground chambers, with the princess Ita followed by Khenmet, Itaweret, and an anonymous woman assumed to be their sister Sathathormeryt.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 17 July 2026
The largest of the debris aprons covers 50 square miles (130 square kilometers), which would be large enough to bury a small city or a large town.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 16 July 2026

Definition of bury

Verb

Lisa Walker-Yeager Lisa Walker-Yeager is running a campaign focused on abolishing or significantly reducing the property tax burden that residents, particularly senior citizens, have at a time when most goods and services are more expensive.

— Sofi Zeman July 16, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
Polling found that support for abolishing ICE surged even among Republicans after the killing of the 37-year-old ICU nurse.

— Michael Loria, USA Today, 15 July 2026

Definition of abolish

Verb

However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

— Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
But Neill doesn’t lean into the crotchety loner stereotype that could have ruined the entire film, finding a core of relatable decency in this outsider that instead holds the whole effort together with an honest humanity reflected in his choices.

— Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 14 July 2026

Definition of ruin

Browse Nearby Words

annexing

annihilate

annihilated

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilate. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of annihilate

verb

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