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
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
Instead, it is filled with a froth of virtual particles becoming real in pairs, waving to us, annihilating each other, and sinking back into the soup of virtual particles.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
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
Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Now southern Republicans are annihilating Black political power.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
Instead, it is filled with a froth of virtual particles becoming real in pairs, waving to us, annihilating each other, and sinking back into the soup of virtual particles.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilating
Verb
-
Blaine begins to relentlessly beat Sam in retaliation for eradicating his wife, Anneliese.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
It was compounded when a West Contra Costa storage unit caught fire, destroying Alvin’s belongings, their mother testified.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
One lawmaker Lackey’s unofficial bill title wasn’t lost upon was Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Jefferson Park, a lawmaker who has spoken publicly about overcoming systemic barriers in his own life as a Black man and has centered his political career largely on criminal justice reform.—
Andrew Graham
May 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
-
That’s because the Phillies (29-27) stand as a serious threat in the wild-card races, and overcoming the Dodgers in the West race just isn’t realistic.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Brought in to protect a two-run lead in the eighth inning, Scott gave up three runs, including two on a home run by Edmundo Sosa, erasing an excellent start from Roki Sasaki and ending the Dodgers’ six-game winning streak with a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
31 May 2026
-
Shop wrinkle-erasing retinol treatments, glowy skin boosters, foundation-replacing skin tints, and more from just $7.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
The plan involves demolishing the building and constructing a near-replica on the same Beatties Ford Road footprint.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Moore held the oversized panels around her arms with white opera gloves, creating a rounded couture shape that framed the green dress rather than burying it.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
24 May 2026
-
Amid the chaos, Rai found a father burying his infant child, no more than a year or two old, in the shallow dirt.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
The most prominent of these activists is Joyce McMillan, who, after her own children were taken and returned, founded JMACforFamilies, an organization with the goal of abolishing the child-protective system altogether.—
Larissa MacFarquhar,
New Yorker,
28 May 2026
-
While politicians can write all sorts of legislation meant to keep kids off smartphones and away from apps, games, and content not appropriate for them, merely writing a law is not the same as abolishing a market.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
This situation is ruining my good feelings about the club.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
When sound came in, people were writing all these articles about how sound is ruining films.—
Andy Hazel,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Annihilating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilating. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
