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

Relevance

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 This is actually the bar’s second location; the original, located three doors down, was decimated in a devastating 2021 fire. Virginia Miller, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026 The move comes after Google’s AI summaries in search results have decimated click-through rates for online publishers. Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 June 2026 In the first primary since the death of Alameda County District 2 Supervisor Richard Valle, the race for District 2 comes as supervisors confront how to respond to state and federal cuts that have decimated budgets of safety net services and strained the county’s finances. Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 The exemptions date back to the birth of the state in 1948, when a small number of students sought to revive the Jewish scholarship system after it was decimated by the Holocaust. Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for decimated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimated
Verb
  • The second inferno killed 12 people, destroyed 6,500 structures across the Palisades and Malibu and cost billions in damage and insurance claims.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
  • In Paradise, California, a community destroyed by wildfire adopted the ‘Wildfire Prepared Home Standard’ as its mandatory rebuilding benchmark.
    Nina Seega, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Its front-facing design deters pickpockets, while the water-resistant fabric protects your phone from surprise downpours or sweaty adventure days—because no one wants their phone ruined halfway through a trip.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026
  • In practice, organic liquids like crude oil ruined everything.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • When the new plant opens, Fiveash will eventually be decommissioned and demolished, but not right away.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2026
  • The existing residence was demolished, though plans to build a new house never moved forward.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • In a phone interview with The Times, her sister, Vanessa Marseille, said the family was shocked and devastated over the incident.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • Wilson was devastated by losing debates about the design of Congress and the presidency, and in particular by the convention’s refusal to acknowledge the centrality of regular people to the government.
    Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • In March, prolonged high temperatures shattered dozens of records in Southern California.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • Williams arrived to find the business' windows shattered, after the roof of nearby restaurant Jay's Backyard BBQ collapsed in the blaze.
    Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Just across the Mississippi River in Avondale, Louisiana, a tornado wrecked four homes, Jefferson Parish spokeswoman Rachel Strassel said.
    CBS News, CBS News, 19 June 2026
  • Jane Ragsdale’s best friend Christine Chenoweth, a pastoral counselor and former Presbyterian minister, says the South Fork of the Guadalupe is now lousy and wrecked and haunted.
    Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Archer's wickets were smashed by an unplayable shooter under his bat.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 June 2026
  • The suspect also allegedly attacked a car at a gas station, which was found with its windows smashed out and an axe inside, and he was seen pushing down shelves inside the station’s market, BBC News reported.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Decimated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimated. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on decimated

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster