1
as in eradicating
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 destroying
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 overcoming
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 annihilating
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
That means eliminating Iran's Navy, which is now absolutely destroyed, hurting their Air Force and their missile program at levels never seen before, and annihilating their defense industrial base.
—James Powel, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
The Death Star, the Empire's planet-annihilating battlestation, has long been the Holy Grail of Lego Star Wars fans.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2026
So, if the president succeeds in 'annihilating,' in his words, the Iranian navy, then long-term prospects of closure should decline, and that should increase the likelihood that ships will start sailing again.
—David McHugh, Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026
Its project is annihilating transformation.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
As the Universe expands and cools, the cross-section drops, and eventually, dark matter stops annihilating away or interacting with anything else in any appreciable way.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Indiana’s defense is masterful, a plug-and-play roster that is annihilating opponents without its leading tackler.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The ruthless annihilating self-criticism silenced by looking into your big brown eyes, a mirror and a time machine.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
That means eliminating Iran's Navy, which is now absolutely destroyed, hurting their Air Force and their missile program at levels never seen before, and annihilating their defense industrial base.
—James Powel, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
The Death Star, the Empire's planet-annihilating battlestation, has long been the Holy Grail of Lego Star Wars fans.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2026
So, if the president succeeds in 'annihilating,' in his words, the Iranian navy, then long-term prospects of closure should decline, and that should increase the likelihood that ships will start sailing again.
—David McHugh, Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026
Its project is annihilating transformation.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
As the Universe expands and cools, the cross-section drops, and eventually, dark matter stops annihilating away or interacting with anything else in any appreciable way.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Indiana’s defense is masterful, a plug-and-play roster that is annihilating opponents without its leading tackler.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The ruthless annihilating self-criticism silenced by looking into your big brown eyes, a mirror and a time machine.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilating
Verb
-
The new state consumer services agency will focus on eradicating junk fees, increasing online privacy protections and overseeing oil companies, according to Newsom’s office.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
-
But roots can be deep and seeds can spread easily, making eradicating invasive plants difficult.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Giant sheets of plastic hang from the ceiling to separate different areas for destroying things and painting.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
-
Pests and wood-destroying organisms Charlotte’s warm, humid climate makes termites a year-round threat, not just seasonal.—
Ryan Brennan
May 15,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The Louisiana native told me that overcoming his native cuisine was half the battle in that redshirt year.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The biggest obstacle was overcoming low expectations.—
Zoya Hasan,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
It was delivered with a celebratory tone for the first-year mayor in erasing a massive funding gap.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Then, in 2022, with those practices firmly in place, the city's reading scores began to skyrocket, erasing pandemic-era losses and rising back around 2017 levels.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The work included demolishing one stand entirely to create the space required to facilitate those media demands.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
-
While the Israel Defense Forces continue to dismantle the physical fortress — recently demolishing the largest Hezbollah tunnel network in southern Lebanon — the Iranian people are dismantling the regime’s internal legitimacy.—
Liram Koblentz-Stenzler,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Add veterans who raise the team’s competence without burying young players.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
11 May 2026
-
Even worse, local governments are starting to follow suit, holding meetings and burying documents in secrecy when the truth is politically inconvenient.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Let’s go down memory lane and recall that the 13th Amendment is abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
The Deep is just going through it in this episode, starting with the news that Homelander is abolishing the Seven.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
When sound came in, people were writing all these articles about how sound is ruining films.—
Andy Hazel,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
-
Dyckman’s sharing the top three outdoor decor trends that are ruining your space—plus, her favorite Amazon swaps to fix them, starting at $22.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Annihilating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilating. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
