as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the army's attack decimated the enemy's defenses beyond repair
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decimate
The move comes after Google’s AI summaries in search results have decimated click-through rates for online publishers.
—
Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 June 2026
In the first primary since the death of Alameda County District 2 Supervisor Richard Valle, the race for District 2 comes as supervisors confront how to respond to state and federal cuts that have decimated budgets of safety net services and strained the county’s finances.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Business Insider In Phoenix, the country’s call-center capital, AI is decimating working-class careers.
—Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 1 June 2026
The exemptions date back to the birth of the state in 1948, when a small number of students sought to revive the Jewish scholarship system after it was decimated by the Holocaust.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 June 2026
In the first primary since the death of Alameda County District 2 Supervisor Richard Valle, the race for District 2 comes as supervisors confront how to respond to state and federal cuts that have decimated budgets of safety net services and strained the county’s finances.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Business Insider In Phoenix, the country’s call-center capital, AI is decimating working-class careers.
—Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 1 June 2026
The exemptions date back to the birth of the state in 1948, when a small number of students sought to revive the Jewish scholarship system after it was decimated by the Holocaust.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
Verb
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In July 1936, anarchists set fire to the church’s crypt and broke into the architect’s workshop before destroying many of his plans and plaster models.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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The Russian president, who has never acknowledged that Ukraine is a legitimate country, or that Zelensky is its legitimate president, could continue to bomb Ukrainian cities, hoping to destroy the electrical grid and make the country unlivable.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Verb
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While several of these positions are vacant to avoid layoffs, representatives said the reductions would nevertheless devastate public safety efforts.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 11,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
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The screwworm could devastate the nation’s cattle industry.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Years earlier, in 2001, the undercover detective involved claimed her career had been ruined by the case, and received around $166,000 in an out-of-court settlement, per the BBC.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
7 June 2026
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Think about it the next time a presidential rant ruins your coffee.—
Steven Andreasen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Verb
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After considerable debate, the city demolished the building in March 2026.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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The committee’s meetings were sometimes contentious, with one of the toughest debates being whether the nightclub would be demolished or preserved in part.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The strikes, which Afghanistan's Taliban rulers said hit the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika, shattered more than a month of calm in the war.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
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One woman was accused of throwing a chair through a glass door and shattering it.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The six jurors in George Pino’s vessel-homicide and manslaughter trial took a road trip to North Miami on Thursday morning to view his boat, which was wrecked in the crash that killed a teenage girl and severely injured two others.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
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Common errors like picking the wrong rug size, furniture layout, color palette, window treatments, and more can wreck your home decor.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The men would brandish firearms and smash car windows before demanding that the victim hand over the money.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
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Every day, there are news reports of hundreds of people rioting in cities across our country — windows being smashed, merchandise stolen, police vehicles damaged and people being attacked and injured.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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