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
Use floating row covers over seedlings and susceptible crops such as eggplants, which can be decimated by flea beetles.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
23 June 2026
Like all large whales, the NOAA said fin whales were hunted by commercial whalers and their populations were decimated.
—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
The pandemic, in combination with soaring beef prices, had decimated barbecue joints that once peppered the East Bay.
—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
21 June 2026
Lawyers claimed the fight had turned existential with the measure threatening to decimate the profit margin of many personal injury cases and leave drivers with small or thorny cases unable to find an attorney willing to take their case.
—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
23 June 2026
Like all large whales, the NOAA said fin whales were hunted by commercial whalers and their populations were decimated.
—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
The pandemic, in combination with soaring beef prices, had decimated barbecue joints that once peppered the East Bay.
—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
21 June 2026
Lawyers claimed the fight had turned existential with the measure threatening to decimate the profit margin of many personal injury cases and leave drivers with small or thorny cases unable to find an attorney willing to take their case.
—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
Verb
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National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, the brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, said on Sunday that more than 12,000 people have been displaced by the earthquakes and 774 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including hospitals.
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There's nothing more quintessential to being a kid than playing Little League baseball, but on July Fourth, 2025, along with so much more, the Little League fields of Hill Country were destroyed, along with the innocence of thousands of kids who live here.
Verb
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The project has sparked outrage because of the location’s pristine nature and unique habitat that would be irreversibly devastated, according to environmentalists.
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BangkokReuters — The family of a 17-year-old Thai girl whose body was found in a suitcase in Pattaya said they were devastated by her death, for which an Australian man has been arrested and charged with murder.
Verb
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Porsha deflects, saying Drew ruined the mood.
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Explosions had all but ruined my hearing.
Verb
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The East Wing of the White House was demolished suddenly in October 2025, and construction at the site, which will be the location of a new 22,000-square-foot ballroom, has continued through mid-2026.
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Just months later, in October, the East Wing had been demolished without notice to make way for the new ballroom.
Verb
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Many windows are shattered or boarded over with decaying plywood.
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Hundreds of records have already been shattered, with more expected as the heat intensifies today through Thursday.
Verb
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My polishing pads are always getting wrecked, used, or stolen by my dog (or all of those things).
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As many little heartbeats as possible, just running around, wrecking stuff in the house.
Verb
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Powell is accused of smashing the mug over the victim's head.
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The van’s windows were smashed and a lone orange traffic cone sat on the hood.
Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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