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
The Mets lost Ronny Mauricio to a fractured thumb in Anaheim, decimating the once-robust infield depth.
—
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Other aims the administration has stated include destroying Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, decimating its navy and stopping its support for regional militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 6 May 2026
No doubt the best-case scenario here is that the Samsung workers win…and get the right to continue manufacturing the mechanisms needed to fuel the large language models that are decimating jobs worldwide.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026
Other aims the administration has stated include destroying Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, decimating its navy and stopping its support for regional militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 6 May 2026
No doubt the best-case scenario here is that the Samsung workers win…and get the right to continue manufacturing the mechanisms needed to fuel the large language models that are decimating jobs worldwide.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimating
Verb
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Back in 2023, the small drones started destroying any truck or van within several miles of the front, often in high-speed chases.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Anomalies then occurred during an engine relight sequence, destroying a significant part of the Superheavy aft and resulting in a loss of control.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Verb
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This situation is ruining my good feelings about the club.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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When sound came in, people were writing all these articles about how sound is ruining films.—
Andy Hazel,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
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The work included demolishing one stand entirely to create the space required to facilitate those media demands.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Third, Ukrainian drone strikes are catalyzing profound morale issues within Russia itself, methodically shattering the illusion of domestic security cultivated by the Kremlin, as the Kremlin tightens its grip over society, including through the suspension of popular messaging apps such as Telegram.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
23 May 2026
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Such an explosion could release energy comparable to a small nuclear weapon, creating a powerful shockwave capable of shattering windows and causing localized damage over a wide area.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
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Captiva Though the recovery isn’t totally complete, Captiva is bouncing back from both 2022’s devastating Hurricane Ian and the rough 2024 hurricane season.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
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On 16 December 2021, typhoon Odette rang in a new chapter, wrecking the island and reducing much of the resort to rubble.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
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The line was a wrecking crew that also managed to outscore the opposition.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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With the help of White and Daniels, Colbert, with permission from the studio, started smashing up the old set, threw the pieces away into a dumpster, and lit it on fire — thanks to the approval of their fire Marshall (Mathers).—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
23 May 2026
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Richemont’s division, which includes Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Buccellati, grew 16% in Q4 — smashing expectations of an 11% uplift and surpassing the previous quarter, when jewelry sales grew 14%.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimating. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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