as in extermination
formal
a usually violent act in which something is damaged or destroyed or in which a person or animal is killed
The town had somehow escaped the depredations of enemy soldiers.
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Recent Examples of depredation
Federal prosecutors charged Castillo with depredation of government property.
—
Brandon Downs, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Colorado’s wolf depredation compensation program is the broadest in the country, Sedgeley said.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026
That means hunting, fishing, ranching, and basic depredation practices for wildlife management would all be banned — among countless other common practices like pest control.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
In those cases, the GFP says mountain lions were lethally removed due to livestock depredation, attacks on pets, or concerns and threats to public safety.
—Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 20 Mar. 2026
In October 2024, 20 mountain lions were killed through depredation permits statewide, the DFW reported.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 28 Jan. 2026
Wolf depredation in Cochise County last summer resulted in the relocation of a pack from southern Arizona to captivity in New Mexico.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Keith Michael Lisa, 51, of Barnegat, was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility and depredation of federal property, Habba announced Tuesday.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 Nov. 2025
Brandon Downs, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Colorado’s wolf depredation compensation program is the broadest in the country, Sedgeley said.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026
That means hunting, fishing, ranching, and basic depredation practices for wildlife management would all be banned — among countless other common practices like pest control.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
In those cases, the GFP says mountain lions were lethally removed due to livestock depredation, attacks on pets, or concerns and threats to public safety.
—Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 20 Mar. 2026
In October 2024, 20 mountain lions were killed through depredation permits statewide, the DFW reported.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 28 Jan. 2026
Wolf depredation in Cochise County last summer resulted in the relocation of a pack from southern Arizona to captivity in New Mexico.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Keith Michael Lisa, 51, of Barnegat, was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility and depredation of federal property, Habba announced Tuesday.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depredation
Noun
-
When the ants come marching in, many of us frantically raid our cabinets and garage shelves for any means of immediate extermination.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
25 Apr. 2026
-
When members of the crew begin to die, the line between spectacle and extermination starts to blur.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Church, undeterred, was drawn to the idea that those processes offered lessons in destruction and renewal which could be applied to a nation teetering on civil war.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The bottom line is that the pressure on the great American people, because of these people who are, like, really intent on American and Israeli destruction with their nuclear weapons are still in power.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Bald eagles have made a strong recovery in Michigan, growing from the edge of extinction with just 52 breeding pairs in the 1960s to about 900 pairs by 2023, Bridge Michigan reported.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
By the early 1940s, it was gone, widely recognized as the first butterfly in North America driven to extinction by human activity.—
Itay Hod,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Back then, the sector focused on drugs that helped cattle and swine survive long enough to make slaughter weight.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
But Serkis prefers his Trojan horse without the slaughter.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Australia, a wide-ranging inquiry commission examining antisemitism after a massacre at a Hanukkah celebration heard this week from Jews who said escalating hatred has left them fearful and vulnerable.—
David Crary,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
The massacre was inspired by Islamic State group, Australian police said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 May 2026
Noun
-
Arellano was recognized for opinion writing for his columns illuminating the fear and devastation of local immigrants during last summer’s ICE raids.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
-
Since launching in Los Angeles in 2021, Bleak Week has consistently supported the notion that well-rendered, artistic tales of devastation play best to rooms full of people who are already primed for heartbreak.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Depredation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depredation. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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