decimating

present participle of decimate
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decimating Beyond birds Cats left free to roam face more issues than just decimating the local bird population. Tanya Edwards, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026 With no major competition from native predators, the invasive snakes exploded in population while decimating local wildlife. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026 The Devil, a native marsupial unique to Tasmania, is under threat from Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) which is decimating numbers throughout Tasmania. John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 The deadliest animal to have ever roamed the earth is not the great white shark, or snakes, or even rats that caused three great plagues in history, decimating the human population at the time. New Atlas, 26 July 2026 Season 2 saw Aemond purposefully incinerating his brother, leaving him badly burned, and decimating the Riverlands while on Vhagar. Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 The Islamic Republic’s leaders and commanders survived a 40-day onslaught aimed both at regime change and at decimating Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 2026 Isn’t this boycott and those fears decimating Israeli cinema? Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 June 2026 Business Insider In Phoenix, the country’s call-center capital, AI is decimating working-class careers. Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimating
Verb
  • The show was filmed across Northern Ireland, and the weather proved to be brutal, with the rain constantly destroying sets that had to be rebuilt.
    Matt Minton, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Ukrainian defenders repelled the attack and posted video footage of their kamikaze drone strikes destroying at least seven T-72B3A tanks, including some that carried the Arena-M system, according to Euromaidan Press.
    Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This allegedly caused the cancellation of school recesses, and also ruining weddings and funerals.
    Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Tibbetts wants fans to blame outside agitators for ruining the league's momentum.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Trump has faced widespread criticism for demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make room for the grand ballroom design.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Despite being identified decades ago, the exact trigger of the joint-demolishing condition is still unclear.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • In 2018 a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 fan blade snapped, shattering a window and sucking a woman’s head and torso outside of the plane.
    Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Ace protected the three deputies from Bowers but was shot in his left front leg, shattering the bone and tearing an artery that caused massive blood loss.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Major hurricanes can cause wind damage ranging from devastating to catastrophic and significant loss of life from their winds alone.
    Karina Zaiets, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Lionel Messi has donated €80,000 ($92,200) to the reconstruction efforts of Madrid’s Sierra Oeste region following devastating wildfires in the area.
    Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Come for the timeliness, stay for Cap wrecking a bunch of guys in an elevator.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Long-distance backpacking is having a moment, and readers planning a first thru-hike want to know how to prepare without wrecking their body, their gear budget or their trip.
    Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • This year, conditions including a record-smashing March heat wave led to a surge in California’s native Culex mosquitoes, the transmitters of West Nile virus.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Democratic turnout in these races is smashing through records — not always to the benefit of the left.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Decimating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimating. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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