decimated

Definition of decimatednext
past tense of decimate
as in destroyed
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

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 decimated 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 With a swing to far-right populism, local production is being put through a political grinder, first in Javier Milei’s Argentina who decimated public-sector subsidies. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has decimated the country’s heritage. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 In the course of that quest, Native populations were decimated. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 Further, the native Taino population had been decimated, and an investigator reported how Columbus used torture and mutilation as punishments. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 Up to 80% of the division staff did exactly that in a wave of departures that has decimated the division's institutional knowledge. — Ryan Lucas, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026 Hamas, which has been decimated but not yet unseated, has so far shown relative restraint and a willingness to absorb regular hits, including a series of assassinations of its members and regular airstrikes by Israel. — Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026 The only way Dallas wins is by outscoring teams and Dak Prescott should shred a secondary that has been decimated by injury. — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimated
Verb
  • The hurricane sent chairs flying and destroyed the restaurant’s canopy.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • And the recording that exposed their machinations ultimately destroyed the type of ethnic politicking that made the careers of too many self-serving power grabbers, including this quartet.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Janice was disgusted; Mary was emotionally devastated and financially ruined.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Totally ruined by introducing too many plot lines that were pointless or opened up and left alone without closure.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That includes what else could get demolished or built, beyond the stadium and team headquarters.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The island is the former home of a Renault factory, which was active for most of the 20th century and demolished in 2005.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Multiple temperature records have been shattered, and an intense marine heat wave has been churning since last December — making our typical high tides even higher — El Niño notwithstanding.
    — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Business damaged by gunfire A bullet shattered the window of Tikal Cocina Café during the shooting.
    — Janay Reece, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Decades of deforestation have devastated vast areas of orangutan habitat, pushing the animals into smaller pockets, increasing their vulnerability to poachers.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Going on two years after the wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles-area neighborhoods, a popular moviehouse is ready for its closeup.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Nantucket Current reported that the wreck is likely part of a 19th-century wooden ship that wrecked near Miacomet Beach in 1884.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The plant’s interior pot has drainage holes, hidden in the cachepot, so your plant won’t drown and your hardwoods won’t get wrecked.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The storm battered the coast over the weekend with wind, rain and unusually large waves, which tore apart a historic boardwalk and smashed into coastal homes.
    — JAIMIE DING, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Waves tore apart a historic boardwalk and smashed against coastal homes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Decimated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimated. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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