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
Following Jaws' success, Benchley expressed regret over the story's impact on the public's fear of sharks and the decimation of shark populations, committing himself to shark conservation and education efforts.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026
The liberal wing of the court sees the decision as a decimation of the Voting Rights Act.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
The third generation of Garrods experienced the decimation of the fruit orchard business and, seeking another stable form of income, began boarding horses in 1962.
—Laura Ness, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026
Clairvoyance came during an early-March decimation of the Nuggets.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
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
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
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
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026
The liberal wing of the court sees the decision as a decimation of the Voting Rights Act.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
The third generation of Garrods experienced the decimation of the fruit orchard business and, seeking another stable form of income, began boarding horses in 1962.
—Laura Ness, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026
Clairvoyance came during an early-March decimation of the Nuggets.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimation
Noun
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David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, told the the Washington Post he was arrested on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
-
This came on the heels of another round of tornadoes just four days earlier that leveled buildings and caused widespread destruction across the region.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Noun
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Williams views Leap Life—named after his leap-year birthday—as an attempt to commune with the dead, particularly in light of the ongoing devastation in Palestine, Sudan, Haiti, Congo, and Yemen.—
Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
17 June 2026
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Hanuse uses footage of the smallpox survivors in the film that is over 100 years old, underscoring the devastation but also their strength.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Noun
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The Tapanuli orangutan struggle to withstand even small increases in death rates and annual losses of more than 1% a year likely put the species on a path toward extinction, Meijaard said.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
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That would come as a surprise to variola major, the virus that caused smallpox, driven to extinction by a vaccine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
To wreak havoc on an unknown person.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
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He was also caught on surveillance video allegedly on the attack outside a pizzeria with a weapon, the outlet reported, adding that social media videos show havoc in other areas of the city as well.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
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As Hinkley’s family and fiancée mourn the loss of a young man who still had his entire future ahead of him, prosecutors emphasized the scrutiny applied when criminal allegations involve an on-duty law enforcement officer.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have long been one of Major League Baseball’s most successful franchises, which means their players often find themselves at the center of conversations that extend beyond wins and losses.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Noun
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The Beck Recreation Center closed last summer, and part of the building is scheduled for demolition.—
Michael Abeyta,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
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And the proposal could be subject to the city’s demolition review process for historic buildings through the Historic Preservation Commission, which could vote to delay demolition for up to 45 days.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
22 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimation. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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