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!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of annihilate
Elon Musk is leaving his Trump administration role as a senior adviser after months of leading the government effort to annihilate spending at all costs.
—
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 29 May 2025
Once again, the film is about the anguish of losing a loved one and the the desire to connect with the dead one more time, the annihilating madness of grief driving a person to unspeakable ends.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 30 May 2025
Apparently the Entity, aided once again by its human helpmate Gabriel (Esai Morales), is set to annihilate humankind in four days unless Ethan and Ethan alone can disable it.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2025
Now, the Entity intends to annihilate humanity in four days unless it can be taken offline by a key that accesses a gizmo in the Arctic Sea that connects to a whatsit that Ving Rhames’s weary Luther is attempting to invent from a makeshift hospital bed somewhere in the subway tunnels of London.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 29 May 2025
Once again, the film is about the anguish of losing a loved one and the the desire to connect with the dead one more time, the annihilating madness of grief driving a person to unspeakable ends.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 30 May 2025
Apparently the Entity, aided once again by its human helpmate Gabriel (Esai Morales), is set to annihilate humankind in four days unless Ethan and Ethan alone can disable it.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2025
Now, the Entity intends to annihilate humanity in four days unless it can be taken offline by a key that accesses a gizmo in the Arctic Sea that connects to a whatsit that Ving Rhames’s weary Luther is attempting to invent from a makeshift hospital bed somewhere in the subway tunnels of London.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilate
Verb
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But advocates say eradicating the Iranian nuclear threat and weakening the regime is in America's national interests because Tehran is a significant destabilizing force in the Middle East, where the United States has key allies and partners, such as Israel and Qatar.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
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Although the red autumn fruits with yellow casings make a lovely Thanksgiving wreath, this woody vine is difficult to manage and eradicate.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
14 June 2025
Verb
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But the conflict has only escalated, with Russia’s launching some of its most extensive strikes in a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of casualties, and Ukraine’s carrying out the audacious Operation Spiderweb drone attack, which damaged or destroyed strategic aircraft inside Russia.—
Adam Rasmi,
Time,
20 June 2025
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To destroy the site, an attack would have to come in waves, with bombers releasing one after another down the same hole.—
Samuel Granados,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
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The Thunder overcame two Game 7s en route to the title, and they will now forever be called champions.—
Matt Levine,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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Advertisement Indiana tried its best to overcome heartbreak in Game 7: Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star point guard who was playing with a calf strain in his right leg, suffered an achilles injury in the first quarter.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
23 June 2025
Verb
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But the suddenly lukewarm Rockies, who seemed primed to erase the 2024 Sox from the record books, entered Wednesday’s game against Washington with a three-game win streak and a 7-7 record in their last 14 games.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2025
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Clark tried to erase the memories of his disappointment at Oakmont with an opening round 6-under 64 on Thursday, putting him tied for second in the early afternoon.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Thirteen years after the nursing home shut down, a developer is proposing to demolish the vacant building and put up 160 apartments.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
18 June 2025
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The city intended to demolish the building and turn it into a parking lot.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2025
Verb
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The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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So rather than bury them behind clunky steps and legalese, bring them forward with clarity and care.—
Sal Rehmetullah,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Lethal injection is the only method of execution after firing squads were abolished in 2011.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
26 June 2025
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Beginning in the 1950s, between 20 million and 25 million households gained ownership of plots of land through the government’s scheme to abolish the colonial-era zamindari system of tax-collecting landlords.—
Michael Albertus,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
Verb
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And just like that, Donald Trump ruined something else.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2025
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacbee.com,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilate. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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