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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 decimation
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
That purchase price represents a decimation of value for the retailer, which a decade ago had a market cap of more than $100 billion.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
But if the administration's decimation of the IG community continues, IGs will be diminished and lack credibility, and Americans will continue to lose confidence in our government.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
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
That purchase price represents a decimation of value for the retailer, which a decade ago had a market cap of more than $100 billion.
—Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
But if the administration's decimation of the IG community continues, IGs will be diminished and lack credibility, and Americans will continue to lose confidence in our government.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimation
Noun
-
Since the boycott, PEN has donated to Palestinian aid organizations, highlighted writers and journalists who have been targeted and killed by Israel, and released a report on the deliberate destruction of Palestinian cultural heritage.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Consumers and retailers should destroy affected products and not return them, as Gold Star will issue refunds with proof of destruction.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Yet amid the loss, in the year since the devastation, the community has not faltered.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The result was economic devastation on a historic scale.—
Jorge Valencia,
NPR,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That one saw John Garrity (Butler) maximizing his privilege by leading his estranged wife, Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their diabetic son, Nathan, to an extinction-proof shelter that had been reserved for people like them.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Although commercial whaling once pushed the species to the brink of extinction, fin whale populations in the Atlantic have shown signs of recovery in recent decades following international bans and protections under laws such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Christian Barmore created a little more havoc against the run and pass than usual, but his only pressure was contained to the second quarter.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Dewan shared Fillion's sense of the havoc Monica is likely to cause in season 8.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
To accommodate the demolition and removal of the bridge, temporary lane closures will occur for five nights on the lower/arrivals level at the airport, and for two nights on the upper/departure level.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
In early 2025, the new owner submitted demolition permits to destroy the structures.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimation. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share