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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decimate
Raging water decimates downtown Chimney Rock, a tourist village, heading to Lake Lure, a resort town.
—
Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 19 May 2025
Many of those interviewed said a generation of scientists — and the innovations their research would bring — could be decimated.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 8 May 2025
Crews continued to douse water onto Louisiana's Nottoway Plantation on Friday morning, May 16, after a devastating fire decimated the historic mansion.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Uncertainty from President Donald Trump's tariff policies decimated the stock market's performance to start the year.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 19 May 2025
Many of those interviewed said a generation of scientists — and the innovations their research would bring — could be decimated.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 8 May 2025
Crews continued to douse water onto Louisiana's Nottoway Plantation on Friday morning, May 16, after a devastating fire decimated the historic mansion.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Uncertainty from President Donald Trump's tariff policies decimated the stock market's performance to start the year.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
Verb
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Aid distributed inside Israeli military zones Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all food production capabilities have been destroyed.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
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The first move for a mistrial from Combs’ legal team occurred at the end of May, after prosecutors asked Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator Lance Jimenez if fingerprint evidence related to the bombing of Kid Cudi's car had been destroyed.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Chimney Rock State Park is set to reopen exactly nine months after being devastated by Hurricane Helene.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
6 June 2025
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The group warns that the ban on hemp products with THC would devastate legal businesses and drive demand toward the unregulated black market.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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But Foxx lamented how the producer ruined his legacy after being arrested in Manhattan last September following a grand jury indictment.—
Mekishana Pierre Published,
EW.com,
3 June 2025
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The relationship between Ludovico and Silvia sparked deadly resentment—Ludovico feared Giorgio might expose the affair and ruin his reputation.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
3 June 2025
Verb
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In 2012, Texas Wesleyan went to the city’s historic and cultural landmarks commission seeking permission to demolish the home for further campus expansion, but were denied.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 June 2025
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Goldschmidt has demolished the NL Central in his career, with a slash line of .291/.388/.527 in almost 550 games played.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Whatever credibility the report might have had as a product of a federal agency was shattered by its obvious errors, misrepresentations and outright fabrications of source materials, some of it plainly the product of the authors’ reliance on AI bots.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
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That puts them on pace to win just 25 games in 2025, which would shatter the record set by the White Sox.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
Verb
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During testimony, Lance Jimenez of the Los Angeles Fire Department recalled a 2012 incident in which an explosion wrecked a Porsche owned by Scott Mescudi, professionally known as Kid Cudi.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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Walls were wrecked by artillery blasts and gunfire.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
27 May 2025
Verb
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That served as a prelude to Tim Anderson smashing his own two-run shot off Zack Britton in the bottom of the inning to send the White Sox home winners.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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He’s often found smashing things in the name of justice but can still be angered easily if things don’t go his way.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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