as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the virtual decimation of the coastal town by the hurricane
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Recent Examples of decimation
Upon learning that dogs were allowed to roam on the lawn, the reason for its decimation became clear, since this grass, although touted for its shade and drought tolerance, is highly sensitive to dog urine and dog digging.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
But until that moment, the one when Towns sank a seemingly unimportant bucket during what turned into a 49-point decimation of the 76ers, those types of shots had evaporated.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Decades of foreign policy, and most recently, the decimation of foreign aid, has created conditions in which people across the Americas must migrate for survival.
—Taylor Crumpton, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Dozens of publications have printed lengthy editorials on the eventuality of job decimation.
—Zack Kass, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Opened in 1927 in response to the near-decimation of the koala population in Australia – the cuddly creatures were hunted for their pelts – Lone Pine is now home to about 100 koalas along with other native Australian fauna.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
Language purists like to remind anyone who will listen that decimation actually means the slaughter of one in ten people, and was the military punishment wielded by the Roman army against deserters and mutineers.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
No doubt the decimation of the terrorist group’s ranks by Israeli strikes concentrated minds among its leaders.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The decimation of critical institutions, like the NIH [National Institutes of Health] and the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], will lead to the loss of innocent lives.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 6 Sep. 2025
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
But until that moment, the one when Towns sank a seemingly unimportant bucket during what turned into a 49-point decimation of the 76ers, those types of shots had evaporated.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Decades of foreign policy, and most recently, the decimation of foreign aid, has created conditions in which people across the Americas must migrate for survival.
—Taylor Crumpton, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Dozens of publications have printed lengthy editorials on the eventuality of job decimation.
—Zack Kass, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Opened in 1927 in response to the near-decimation of the koala population in Australia – the cuddly creatures were hunted for their pelts – Lone Pine is now home to about 100 koalas along with other native Australian fauna.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
Language purists like to remind anyone who will listen that decimation actually means the slaughter of one in ten people, and was the military punishment wielded by the Roman army against deserters and mutineers.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
No doubt the decimation of the terrorist group’s ranks by Israeli strikes concentrated minds among its leaders.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
The decimation of critical institutions, like the NIH [National Institutes of Health] and the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], will lead to the loss of innocent lives.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimation
Noun
-
The conflict looks set to batter allies’ economies by driving inflation up and hitting economic growth, while analysts have questioned the feasibility of Washington’s goals — whether regime change, or destruction of Tehran’s nuclear program or its missile stockpiles.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The storm’s heavy rains caused widespread flooding that killed at least 43 people and led to the destruction of banana plantations, sorghum, beans, cassava, coffee and other crops as well as the loss of livestock.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But through this devastation came a discovery.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
But if the technology went rogue, or fell into the wrong hands, the devastation could be total.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
California lawmakers on Tuesday moved forward on a bill that could lead to the re-introduction of grizzly bears to the state, more than a century after the quarter-ton predators were hunted into local extinction.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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Tony told us how large trawlers would go out farther into the water and catch more than locals did, gradually shrinking the cod population to near extinction.—
Akash Kapur,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The aim is for Abdul to cause havoc in the United States, the West Bank and Iran.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In the twentieth century, the same storms that made headlines in New York wreaked quieter havoc across the river.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
No matter the result, Curry is back and healthy at long last for the Warriors after a right knee injury, and everyone at Chase Center celebrated right along with him in Golden State's 117-116 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Senior Devon Blair will be the top starter for the Vikings and finished with a 16-strikeout contest in a tough loss to Northbridge in the postseason.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Smith said the beams weren’t in the original plan — until a demolition project offered something with history.—
David Caraccio
April 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Saved from demolition and ingenuously repurposed as a restaurant in 2020, the old rail ties used to make the bar, The Depot is now one of the places to be in a growing, bustling city of 25,000.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimation. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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