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
Critics argue his plan will decimate cities, counties, and local school districts.
—
Jim Defede, CBS News, 31 May 2026
To pay for her medical bills, the family had to sell most of their remaining cattle and goats, a bitter blow after years of drought had already decimated local herds.
—Tommy Trenchard, NPR, 31 May 2026
Hezbollah’s leadership had been decimated by an Israeli assassination campaign, and much of its stockpile of weapons was destroyed during the war.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Both plants and fungi need moisture, but too much moisture can lead to fungal attacks that decimate our plants.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Jim Defede, CBS News, 31 May 2026
To pay for her medical bills, the family had to sell most of their remaining cattle and goats, a bitter blow after years of drought had already decimated local herds.
—Tommy Trenchard, NPR, 31 May 2026
Hezbollah’s leadership had been decimated by an Israeli assassination campaign, and much of its stockpile of weapons was destroyed during the war.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Both plants and fungi need moisture, but too much moisture can lead to fungal attacks that decimate our plants.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
Verb
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Fueled by large stocks of critically dry vegetation and extreme winds, the fires killed 31 people, destroyed nearly 12,000 homes, and forced over 150,000 evacuations.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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But satellite images reviewed by CNN show how Iran has used simple equipment such as bulldozers and dump trucks to counter those costly campaigns — suggesting that Tehran’s missile capabilities can’t be destroyed just by targeting tunnel entrances, experts said.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Horvath has faced issues in her district, which includes county areas devastated by the Palisades fire.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
4 June 2026
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In the case of Tom Brandis, played by the singular Mark Ruffalo, a tragedy (matricide) has devastated his family unit.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Our house, ruined by the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, was rebuilt from the foundation up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Two other properties were purchased in 2024, one of which was a barbershop that was demolished, and a third property was purchased in 2025.—
Delia Rose Sauer,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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Before filing plans to demolish the building within the next two weeks, Kennedy planned Thursday night’s event to honor the structure.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Over the prairie there would be lightning that evening, dropping in shattering bolts from swollen purple clouds.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Standard polystyrene shattered or punctured easily under the stress.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The kind of game-wrecking force that the Rams enjoyed playing behind during Aaron Donald’s tenure, and one the defense has missed since Donald’s retirement prior to the 2024 season.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
2 June 2026
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These two didn't get along great for a long period after Kyle wrecked Junior at Richmond.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The men would brandish firearms and smash car windows before demanding that the victim hand over the money.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
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Every day, there are news reports of hundreds of people rioting in cities across our country — windows being smashed, merchandise stolen, police vehicles damaged and people being attacked and injured.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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