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 Season 2 saw Aemond purposefully incinerating his brother, leaving him badly burned, and decimating the Riverlands while on Vhagar. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 His team was decimated by injuries but remained competitive and ended its season at the College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 20 July 2026 The shaggy bovines of the plains and boreal forests were nearly hunted to extinction in a frenzy of killing that decimated their population. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 20 July 2026 To be sure, Iran’s economy is reeling and conventional forces were decimated, but the Islamic Republic has enough combat power to scare away commercial shipping and isn’t deterred from continuing its attacks. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
  1. destroy
  2. devastate
  3. ruin
  4. demolish
  5. shatter
  6. wreck
  7. smash
Verb
  • The planters themselves get chipped, scratched, dented and, in one out of every three cases so far, destroyed.
    — Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • However, an unconfined plasma column could instantly destroy solid surfaces upon contact.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • We are devastated to learn of the passing of Kevin Keegan, one of the most iconic, influential and deeply loved figures in our club’s history.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Recently, Rodríguez was photographed in a once-unthinkable meeting with uniformed IDF brass overseeing Israeli rescue efforts in the wake of two powerful earthquakes that have devastated Venezuela’s coastal region.
    — Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • Floyd is no longer attracted to his wife, has trouble connecting with his teen-age stepson, and owes tens of thousands in taxes—a set of stressors that are ruining his health.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
  • That would ruin a good thing, apparently, and Foerster credited Puni for not only playing through a knee injury last fall but overcoming early-career growing pains.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Western Newspaper Union Building Plans filed with the city show that the project would include demolishing and replacing an existing building on the site.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • The Rike Concert Hall in Tbilisi, Georgia, is set to be demolished.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 21 July 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • Six years ago, the signing of the Abraham Accords was dismissed by skeptics as a fragile, fair-weather agreement, bound to shatter at the first sign of Middle Eastern turbulence.
    — Liron Zaslansky, semafor.com, 22 July 2026
  • For many Colombians, the attack on Uribe Turbay shattered the belief that the country had largely left behind the era when presidential candidates routinely became targets of political violence.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • In ‘The Strange Architect,’ VanderMeer explores the legacy of Arthur Bream, a man whose dreams of building a utopian community are wrecked when his daughter goes missing.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 23 July 2026
  • The brutal heat and intense working conditions inside the kitchen and the front area of the business come after a thief wrecked the rooftop air conditioning unit in search of copper wiring.
    — Seamus Bozeman Follow, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of wreck
Verb
  • This actor, Yannis Kokiasmenos, came in for half a day and is holding his own, smashing this scene.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • Many have labeled the match dull, with neither team scoring until Spain’s Ferran Torres smashed the ball into the back of the net in the 106th minute to defeat reigning champs Argentina.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 July 2026
Definition of smash

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Cite this Entry

“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of decimate for Spanish Speakers

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