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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decimated
But when they were forced to retreat, harsh winter conditions, starvation and disease decimated the invaders.
—
Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
And between offensive line issues such as the left-tackle turnstile last season and a receiver group decimated by injuries, Mahomes seldom played with the fluidity that earned him NFL MVP honors in his first season as a starter and defined his early years.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2025
Hezbollah's leadership has been decimated.
—Time Staff, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
The Hamas leadership was decimated in the war, and the ceasefire agreement says the group will not take part in a future government.
—NPR, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimated
Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
And between offensive line issues such as the left-tackle turnstile last season and a receiver group decimated by injuries, Mahomes seldom played with the fluidity that earned him NFL MVP honors in his first season as a starter and defined his early years.
—Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2025
Hezbollah's leadership has been decimated.
—Time Staff, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
The Hamas leadership was decimated in the war, and the ceasefire agreement says the group will not take part in a future government.
—NPR, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimated
Verb
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Herodotus reasoned that had Helen in fact been within the walls of Troy instead of in Egypt, the Trojans would surely have surrendered her to the Greeks rather than allow their city to be destroyed.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Your homes may have been damaged or destroyed and your communities and towns no longer look the same.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An old fur coat or feather stole could also be ruined.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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Cash is king right now, Hsia said, and the AFJ is matching up to $1 million in donations that will go toward things such as new roofs for houses whose roofs were blown off and new furniture after many people's belongings were soaked through and ruined.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The East Wing has been demolished before our eyes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Oct. 2025
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More recently, high-profile firms including Amazon, Apple, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, Lockheed Martin and Meta Platforms have agreed to help finance the ballroom Trump plans for the White House after ordering the building’s East Wing to be demolished.—
Bill Barrow,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Residents of Kingston, Jamaica, were already dealing with floodwaters on Friday, as concerns are growing that the impact could be the worst since Hurricane Gilbert devastated the island in 1988.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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This happened when Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last year.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The case of Mamulya, a donkey whose hoof was shattered, apparently in a mine explosion, becomes central to the story, emblematic of the assistance the sanctuary receives from within and beyond Ukraine’s borders in order to provide state-of-the-art medical treatments.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
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But when newspapers shifted from reinforcing social order to documenting disorder in readers’ own communities, audiences responded by distrusting the institution that shattered their comforting myths.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 1816 the stratosphere was saturated with Tambora’s dust, and sea ice nearly wrecked Scoresby’s ship off the eastern coast of Greenland.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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If Matt had wrecked his bike, broken his collarbone, or been whacked by a car, the decision would be easy.—
Maggie Slepian,
Outside,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Once inside, the gang smashed two display cases and made off with several jewels before speeding away on motorbikes.—
Barney Henderson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
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Sadly, for Bieber at least, the Dodgers got the win, and the series lead, as Freddie Freeman smashed a home run in the 18th inning, for a 6-5 result.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decimated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimated. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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