as in destroying
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 decimating
In the early 2000s, fishermen from other parts of Indonesia and Southeast Asia used explosives and large nets, damaging corals, decimating shark populations and forcing local residents who relied on fishing to travel as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) offshore for a catch.
—
ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
One of the more important revelations from Netanyahu’s press conference was about how the joint strikes with the United States, known as Operation Epic Fury, have been extremely effective at decimating Iran’s weapons.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Among those objectives are preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and decimating the country’s naval capabilities.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
But these relatively weak protections for hundreds of acres of identical plants have resulted in outbreaks decimating crops that people depend on.
—Lily Peck, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2026
Say goodbye to criminally high rental prices, steep mortgages, and the thought of decimating your savings with this modern, cabin-style tiny home that is ready to open its doors to you and welcome you to your dream life.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
Last week, the paper fired close to half of the staff who remained after a previous round of layoffs, gutting its local and international desks, decimating its sports and arts coverage, and eliminating Book World altogether.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
The newspaper’s sweeping layoffs account for about third the newsroom’s staff, decimating sports, local and international news coverage.
—Sara Dinatale, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Those snakes went on to reproduce and thrive in South Florida’s subtropical climate, decimating some ecosystems.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
One of the more important revelations from Netanyahu’s press conference was about how the joint strikes with the United States, known as Operation Epic Fury, have been extremely effective at decimating Iran’s weapons.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Among those objectives are preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and decimating the country’s naval capabilities.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
But these relatively weak protections for hundreds of acres of identical plants have resulted in outbreaks decimating crops that people depend on.
—Lily Peck, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2026
Say goodbye to criminally high rental prices, steep mortgages, and the thought of decimating your savings with this modern, cabin-style tiny home that is ready to open its doors to you and welcome you to your dream life.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
Last week, the paper fired close to half of the staff who remained after a previous round of layoffs, gutting its local and international desks, decimating its sports and arts coverage, and eliminating Book World altogether.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
The newspaper’s sweeping layoffs account for about third the newsroom’s staff, decimating sports, local and international news coverage.
—Sara Dinatale, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Those snakes went on to reproduce and thrive in South Florida’s subtropical climate, decimating some ecosystems.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimating
Verb
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Hamas’ charter calls for destroying Israel.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
When season five begins, Ed is a leader in the separatist group the Sons and Daughters of Mars, a former agent of the ruling order now intent on destroying it.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Monday’s game offered yet another example of how the team that supposedly is ruining baseball is fattening the wallets of the league’s other 29 teams.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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Your couch has a fabric cleaning code — usually printed on a tag tucked under the cushions — and ignoring it can mean ruining the upholstery.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The musician and fashion mogul began the process of demolishing the architectural gem, completely stripping its electricity, plumbing, bathrooms, and windows.—
India Roby,
Architectural Digest,
8 Apr. 2026
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The Michigan basketball team is headed to the NCAA national championship game Monday night after demolishing Arizona 93-71 in the Final Four on Saturday in Indianapolis.—
Brian Manzullo,
Freep.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump has gone far toward shattering what’s left of America’s global stature.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
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The auction comes just weeks after David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster sold for a record-shattering $14,550,000.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For this woman, devastating in her humanity and dignity throughout the four months of the extraordinary trial, who was propelled into becoming a global icon in the fight against the violence done to women, the time has now come to rebuild.—
TIME,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
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Our team found that a hospital cyberattack cut the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest without devastating brain damage by nearly 90% at nearby hospitals, not just the one that was attacked.—
Jeffrey Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But here’s the thing — ignoring your gutters is one of the fastest ways to turn a free weekend project into a budget-wrecking emergency repair.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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This might drive like a dirt race, giving Reddick, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell a chance to shine as their cars are on the verge of wrecking.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In footage shared by the BBC on X, Medvedev, who suffered a 6-0 6-0 loss during the 49-minute match, was filmed smashing up his tennis racket six times and angrily tossing it across the court.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
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At the nearly 17-mile-long circular particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that sits deep below the French Alps, CERN scientists recreated the quark-gluon plasma by smashing together atomic nuclei of iron at near-light speed.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimating. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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