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

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 decimated The previously unbeaten Seminoles were decimated by player opt-outs, and the game simply carried no weight. Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 July 2026 The exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox date back to the 1948 founding of Israel, when a small number of students sought to revive the Jewish scholarship system after it was decimated during the Holocaust. Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 The passage of the CCCA would replicate the disastrous 2010 Durbin Amendment, which decimated debit card rewards. Raquel Mitchell, Boston Herald, 8 July 2026 Student loans are rising, graduate jobs are being decimated, and AI is threatening to make essay writing a redundant practice. Eric Francia, Fortune, 7 July 2026 After a 1928 freeze decimated the grapevines, the area’s winemakers replanted, sought Saint Mark’s protection, and commissioned Luxembourgian sculptor Claus Cito to create a statue of the saint, which now occupies a niche in the tower. Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026 The funeral comes as Iran seeks to project stability after months of war that decimated much of its senior political and military leadership. Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2026 The chicks are part of a global effort to reintroduce the species, which was decimated by the invasive brown tree snake. Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 July 2026 When the Spanish settlers decamped for Cuba in 1763 after ceding Florida to the English, the few surviving Tequesta, their numbers decimated by 200 years of captivity and slavery, conflict and ill treatment, are believed to have departed with them. Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimated
Verb
  • One residence was damaged and a minor structure was destroyed, according to an incident update.
    Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • After powerful twin earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela and destroyed their home in the coastal town of Caraballeda last month, Maria and her brother Damian, 13, were taken in by their aunt, Mercedes Osul.
    Osmary Hernández, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • Michael seemed to be saying that by admitting her dishonesty, Ethel would have ruined their childhood and poisoned any prospect of a future relationship with her.
    Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
  • Instead of fighting with Whitney, Lindsay has a talk with Yvonne about how Lindsay ruined Yvonne’s wedding by making it all about her.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 8 July 2026
Verb
  • West Harbor is the redevelopment of the former waterfront Ports O'Call Village, which was demolished in 2018.
    Julie Sharp, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • The two-acre space was the site of the California State Building, which suffered systemic damage in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and was demolished five years later.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • In a separate GoFundMe page, Castillo’s family said they were devastated by his death.
    Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
  • The new flight comes as American Airlines twice daily direct flights between MIA and Caracas remain suspended following multiple earthquakes on June 24 that devastated Venezuela’s capital.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • In the summer of 2024, Svalbard shattered previous ice melt records, losing more than 60 gigatons of ice, around 1% of its total, as temperatures spiked 7 degrees Fahrenheit above average.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
  • The surge shattered a four-year-old record of 99,445 GWh set back in July 2022.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • The vessel eventually wrecked on a reef in the Florida Keys in 1827, drowning 41 people.
    Amara Evering, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
  • Flash flooding in southeastern Missouri wrecked a campground and carried away about a dozen people, according to local authorities.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • This ice is thought to contain material from asteroids and comets that smashed into the moon billions of years ago.
    Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 14 July 2026
  • The 'why' behind airline safety rules Local Greek media reported that a piece of the engine had broken off and that debris smashed the window, quickly decompressing the cabin, which led to part of Karović's body being sucked out of the window.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 14 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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