as in destroys
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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Recent Examples of decimates
This move effectively decimates the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which has conducted federal funds to NPR and PBS for nearly 60 years.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimates
Verb
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Liposuction surgically removes fat cells, while cryolipolysis freezes and destroys them.—
Bryant Stamford,
The Courier-Journal,
29 Aug. 2025
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But the loving couple’s equilibrium hits a major bump when a freak coastal storm destroys Theo’s new building before its inauguration and viral videos compound his humiliation.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Deadly flooding devastates South Asia Almost 400 people have died in Pakistan after flash floods brought destruction throughout the country’s north.—
Semafor Staff,
semafor.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Illness devastates the novel’s humble, endearing protagonist, who bravely crosses class boundaries in her enthralling search for peace.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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That embryonic Xenomorph then shatters its container and leaps at Wendy, who pets it gently.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
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Trump's action shatters this precedent, inviting chaos.—
Dan Irvine,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Athens, Greece Athens glows beneath Mediterranean light, where marble ruins rise from its timeworn hillsides—from the world-famous Parthenon to the Temple of Hephaestus.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Egyptian officials shared one photo of the site, showing the mudbrick ruins of the settlement.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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At a single, two-minute dinner, Hermann Kafka smashes a cockroach while denigrating his son’s engagement to Felice Bauer before reiterating his distaste for Franz’s writing.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
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Excitement around the closing stretch is spilling onto the charts in the United Kingdom, as a wave of Coldplay smashes return and rise this frame.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decimates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimates. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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