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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

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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 Did someone within Rushville, a town decimated by Jordan’s recklessness, wait 10 years for a little revenge of their own? — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026 South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin’s sci-fi thriller follows a pair of officers (Hwang Jung-min and Hoyeon) who investigate a small village decimated by unknown creatures. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 Fielder and Oppenheim have created a fascinating portrait of a relationship, decimating notions of objectivity in documentary while also interrogating the limits of fiction. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026 But Aston Martin, ooh, Aston Martin’s getting decimated, and Porsche is in serious trouble. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 9 Sep. 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 fire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, cabins and other structures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Mark Zuckerberg certainly wants no part of one, and cutthroat competition seems hard-coded into tech executives, who are rich enough not to need to win but wake up every morning trying to destroy each other anyway.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • In New York City, light-up drones recreated the outlines of the twin towers that used to be a fixture in the skyline before they were demolished in the attacks.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026
  • One drone operator talks about going out for lunch or hanging out with their friends in Tel Aviv after demolishing people’s houses in Gaza from miles away.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • To me, that would ruin all of the progress baseball has made over the last five years.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • My personal concern is especially based on the fact that their huge need for additional electricity generation could very well ruin our ability to reduce carbon emissions and avoid a climate crisis.
    — Martin Kushler, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • All those entities hoovered up the dollars PG&E had available to pay out victims of the Camp Fire, and other blazes including the deadly 2017 North Bay fires that devastated Santa Rosa and outlying communities.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • If passed, the measure would devastate school districts across the state by reducing services that students and families depend on.
    — Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • Last week a number of concerned mathematicians, many of them at the top of their subject, launched the Association for Human Mathematics (AHM)—an effort that was underway even before the earth-shattering Navier-Stokes news.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Maya’s fear of commitment mirrors the film’s fear of showing us anything truly ugly or grappling with the idea that our heroine is one of many, many people who lost someone during a society-shattering number of years.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • Here’s how the shift happened, what the ingredient actually does below the neck and how to fold it into a routine without wrecking your skin barrier.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Following instructions from the kidnappers (unbeknownst to his increasingly agitated comrades), Lee drives out to meet them for the exchange, only to wreck his car and become distracted saving a nearby woman, Hua (Moon Lee).
    — Jake Cole, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of wreck

Browse Nearby Words

decimals
decimate
decimated
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Cite this Entry

“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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