decimate

verb

ˈde-sə-ˌmāt How to pronounce decimate (audio)
Definition of decimatenext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 decimate They were enraged at the way the current administration had decimated progressive policies toward children, women, people of color, gay people and transgender people. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 Toss in how Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson decimated the defense the week prior and some serious conversations need to be had. — Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 Now Amazon has major investments in Anthropic and Open AI and seems poised to decimate a variety of creative industries with very little pushback. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has decimated the country’s heritage. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
  1. destroy
  2. demolish
  3. ruin
  4. devastate
  5. shatter
  6. wreck
Verb
  • The students on Thursday asked public servants to prevent outgoing officials from destroying documentation or evidence of potential wrongdoing.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
  • According to the Federal Trade Commission, destroy anything containing sensitive information to protect yourself from identity theft.
    — Andee Tagle, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • Originally designed in 1893 as two side-by-side hotels built by feuding family members, the collective property was demolished in 1929 to make room for the Empire State Building’s construction.
    — Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Plans to either demolish the structure or preserve it were offered by various community groups.
    — Pam DeFiglio, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • One accidental move could ruin the attempt, requiring a correction at best, and a possible restart at worst.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Others have used it to remove oily stains from their toddlers like crayon marks on carpet, and one reviewer says it’s saved many of their clothes from being ruined in a household with unavoidable messes from both kids and pets.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Some were devastated and expressed hope a new company could rescue the venture so life at sea can continue.
    — Sopheng Cheang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Fisherwoman is devastated and has a very flammable partner.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • The roadway was left shattered and burning wreckage dotted the crater, video from CNN affiliate WPBF showed.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia closed on Saturday after more than three decades of successive missions that helped rebuild a country shattered by civil war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • From Miami to Fort Lauderdale, residents struggled through the saltwater suddenly seeping into their neighborhoods and wrecking their commute.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The 21-year-old from Dallas, who soared to gold in the all-around on Friday after recovering from injuries that wrecked her Olympic hopes in 2021 and again in 2024, hardly looked tired in what has quickly become the meet of her life.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of wreck

Browse Nearby Words

decimals
decimate
decimated
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of candidate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All