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
The two annihilate each other, releasing energy into the cosmos.
—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
21 June 2026
Matter is so dominant in our universe that any antimatter typically encounters matter quickly and annihilates.
—
Quanta Magazine,
15 June 2026
Small black ants are generally harmless, but a colony of leafcutter ants can annihilate food crops, and aggressive fire ants build huge mounds and deliver a painful sting when disturbed.
—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
This sequence of events used to occur regularly in the US and Central America; screwworm was endemic here but was eradicated after a concerted, decades-long campaign to annihilate its populations.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
21 June 2026
Matter is so dominant in our universe that any antimatter typically encounters matter quickly and annihilates.
—
Quanta Magazine,
15 June 2026
Small black ants are generally harmless, but a colony of leafcutter ants can annihilate food crops, and aggressive fire ants build huge mounds and deliver a painful sting when disturbed.
—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
This sequence of events used to occur regularly in the US and Central America; screwworm was endemic here but was eradicated after a concerted, decades-long campaign to annihilate its populations.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilate
Verb
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In 1980, smallpox became the first human disease ever eradicated worldwide.
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The rare partnership is giving the tribe an opportunity to introduce its language, history, culture that the federal government once tried to eradicate to soccer fans around the world.
Verb
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The most common type of dementia, which destroys memory and cognitive function, was responsible for 116,022 deaths in 2024, NCHS data shows.
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That book is a revenge fantasy about the former art school professor who seduced her, discarded her and destroyed her confidence as a painter.
Verb
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Rather than be benched, Devers batted cleanup, overcame an 0-for-3 start, and singled up the middle in the seventh to score Bryce Eldridge, who narrowly beat a tag at the plate for a 3-1 lead.
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Its highly specialized strategy likely evolved to take advantage of the ant’s natural aggression and then overcome its defenses; the slingshot mechanism flings the ant from the foraging trail, reducing the risk that the spider will be swarmed by other workers, the researchers hypothesized.
Verb
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Sue Kim, director of color marketing at Cabot paints, says refreshing these pieces should never erase the charm.
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In order to safely accomplish the stunt, Cruise was attached via a wire that was later erased in post production.
Verb
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The East Wing of the White House was demolished suddenly in October 2025, and construction at the site, which will be the location of a new 22,000-square-foot ballroom, has continued through mid-2026.
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Just months later, in October, the East Wing had been demolished without notice to make way for the new ballroom.
Verb
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But instead of trying to make the turn, Diene laid the ball off for Baker, who buried a one-timer into the left side of the net.
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In addition, the group plans to bury a time capsule on July 4 in Philadelphia to be opened on America's 500th birthday in 2276.
Verb
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The other reconstruction amendments abolished slavery and expanded voting rights.
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Trump and his supporters have repeatedly pushed Senate leaders to abolish the filibuster to pass the election bill, but there's also insufficient support to drastically change the chamber's procedures.
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
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After all, plenty of cocktail enthusiasts already complain about mosquitoes ruining a summer evening.
Cite this Entry
“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilate. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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