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
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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!
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of annihilate
Through smart positioning and tactical moves (plus powers) used at the right times, the goal is to either annihilate or repel the enemy forces.
—
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 2 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 2 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilate
Verb
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Once established, the mollusks are extremely difficult to eradicate and can damage drinking water systems, irrigation infrastructure and hydroelectric facilities while disrupting native aquatic ecosystems.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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This neighborhood plan mimics ones used to eradicate the insects on islands.—
Maggie Penman,
Washington Post,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
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Terminix utilizes the advanced Sentricon baiting system alongside traditional liquid barriers to destroy subterranean colonies entirely.—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The Bulldogs fell behind 3-0 in the first and could not overcome the early deficit thanks to the efforts of OU starting pitcher Xander Mercurius’ 7 1/3 quality innings pitched.—
Hunter DeLauder,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
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Chasing atomic limits To overcome that challenge, the KAIST team relied on first-principles calculations, a computational approach that predicts material behavior using the laws of physics rather than experimental data.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The Lynx erased the Sparks’ 7-3 lead — fueled by quick starts from Burrell and Hamby.—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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But the improvement was not enough to erase the lead held by opponents, according to an analysis of vote updates monitored by The Bee over the past two weeks.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The existing residence was demolished, though plans to build a new house never moved forward.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
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The military has bulldozed or demolished wide swaths of the zone, and the area, where most of Gaza’s agricultural land lies, is inaccessible to Palestinians.—
Melanie Lidman,
Chicago Tribune,
19 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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The story of Maria José of Savoy, who served as queen of Italy after World War II for only 27 days before Italians voted to abolish the monarchy, is set to be the subject of a new historical drama.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
17 June 2026
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In 1926, diplomats gathered beneath the high ceilings of the League of Nations in Geneva to draft the world's first international treaty abolishing slavery.—
Nicole F. Roberts,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The Spurs rose up and ruined that party, winning their only game of the series.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Historically, barrels of Madeira spent months crossing tropical oceans aboard ships, and merchants realized that the heat actually improved the wine rather than ruining it.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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