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
Dozens of publications have printed lengthy editorials on the eventuality of job decimation.
—
Zack Kass, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
This was the weakest Australian side since Andrew Strauss led England to a famous 3-1 victory against them in 2010-11, and it was made worse by injury problems that led to the decimation of Australia’s first-choice bowling attack.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 8 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
And then 95% of prisoners and detainees are eventually released to the community, where the decimation of life skills caused by solitary confinement makes successful reintegration much less likely.
—Terry Kupers, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
Now, the decimation of the environment and indigenous people across the world, from the palm oil plantations of Indonesia to the cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has reached the shores of Great Nicobar.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 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
Zack Kass, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
This was the weakest Australian side since Andrew Strauss led England to a famous 3-1 victory against them in 2010-11, and it was made worse by injury problems that led to the decimation of Australia’s first-choice bowling attack.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 8 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
And then 95% of prisoners and detainees are eventually released to the community, where the decimation of life skills caused by solitary confinement makes successful reintegration much less likely.
—Terry Kupers, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
Now, the decimation of the environment and indigenous people across the world, from the palm oil plantations of Indonesia to the cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has reached the shores of Great Nicobar.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 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
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In June 2025, EOS demonstrated the destruction of a tank using a Rodeur 330 fitted with an inert warhead, controlled via FPV.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
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While navigating Westport by car or on foot is chaotic right now, the goal is to prevent destruction in the future.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The sheer human devastation witnessed by the half-dozen people pretending to eat their lunch in here could nullify any legitimate emotional experience within twenty city blocks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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The frigid weekend left behind a path of devastation, with New York City officials reporting eight deaths stemming from the cold temperatures that resulted in 8 to 15 inches of snow in some neighborhoods, according to FOX 8.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Conservationists argue delisting the species would almost certainly lead to its extinction.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Warming temperatures are forcing Antarctic penguins to breed earlier and that’s a big problem for two of the cute tuxedoed species that face extinction by the end of the century, a study said.—
Seth Borenstein,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The weather was already causing havoc in the air — with about 1,000 flight disruptions at CLT airport — and on the ground, with State Highway Patrol handling over 175 wrecks so far.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Jan. 2026
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In any case, the Chiefs’ self-evaluation this offseason is sure to focus on how the team can create more havoc — while also getting back to the production of past seasons when creating big plays was more the norm.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But those guards fell crashing down on Wednesday night in a brutally honest assessment of his team following Boise State’s (9-6, 1-3 Mountain West) 75-58 home loss to Grand Canyon (9-5, 2-1) at ExtraMile Arena.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
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Despite the losses, Damon traveled to Texas and won the national title, dedicating the victory to his family and supporters.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The bronze doors and concrete walls with remarkably few windows looked ancient, and the building more closely resembled a student dormitory awaiting demolition than an institution where precious cultural assets from around the world were collected and stored.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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The mansion’s fate became almost certain when the property owner, the family living next door, requested a demolition permit from the city of Miami Beach.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimation. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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