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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The extreme heat kills the plant tissue immediately and typically destroys the roots of many weed species.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
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Exacerbating the problem, unpredictable rainfall cycling between drought and floods further devastates the region.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For example, people now take care to wear shoes at home in case an explosion shatters glass, or there’s a need to evacuate immediately.—
Jason Rezaian,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
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At that moment, the mirror reflecting the entire contents of Frenza’s mind from the past few days shatters in a kaleidoscope of dreams.—
Agnieszka Szpila,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One drop of red dye ruins the whole thing.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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And as per usual, a man ruins everything.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Delivery robot smashes into glass of bus shelter in Old Town on Tuesday afternoon.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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In fact, Bridget has a bold take that smashes our assumptions about what science is supposed to look like to smithereens.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimates. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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