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
For Chondwe, that conjured up nightmarish memories of the 1980s, '90s and early 2000s, when HIV had decimated his community.
—
Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
And under Trump, research universities are losing funding and climate initiatives are being decimated.
—Julia Rendleman, ProPublica, 5 Sep. 2025
Lemieux and her husband discussed starting a theater company, one that specialized in local playwrights and actors, but after COVID, the performing arts were decimated.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
The Lost Bus takes us inside the hellish inferno of the 2018 Camp fire that decimated the town of Paradise in Northern California.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
And under Trump, research universities are losing funding and climate initiatives are being decimated.
—Julia Rendleman, ProPublica, 5 Sep. 2025
Lemieux and her husband discussed starting a theater company, one that specialized in local playwrights and actors, but after COVID, the performing arts were decimated.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
The Lost Bus takes us inside the hellish inferno of the 2018 Camp fire that decimated the town of Paradise in Northern California.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
Verb
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Some are value-destroying black holes; others are relentless value creators.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last week, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Deadly floods in Asia have devastated crops, crippling already fragile food production.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The glossy marketing doesn't include a footnote about trust funds, family support or the ability to absorb year-over-year losses that would devastate most working families.—
Elle Wang,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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Our family has been ruined by Denise's lies of promising to end a year-long affair.—
Stephanie Wenger,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An image taken on August 19 shows Israeli excavators and bulldozers demolishing buildings in Zeitoun.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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In a shocking and dominant performance, Lesnar completely demolished Cena, delivering 16 German suplexes in a one-sided beatdown to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What would shatter any other nation has become our daily broadcast.—
John Feinblatt,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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These hopes are shattered when a brutish stranger appears on the doorstep to take his family back.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Last week the hacks finally returned Read’s SUV, but with its electronics system totally wrecked.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
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Arguing further against a lopsided game, two Eagles defenders who wrecked Kansas City’s blocking in the Super Bowl have moved on.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Shoplifting became a political lighting rod, and videos of thieves smashing store windows and grabbing merchandise rocketed across the news and social media as a symbol of a breakdown across cities.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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The forward smashed a strike across the goalkeeper and into the top corner, before wheeling away in emotional celebration.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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