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 members of the crew begin to die, the line between spectacle and extermination starts to blur.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
-
While extinctions are always multi-faceted, the extermination of some species can be almost directly linked to the insatiable appetites of modern humans.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The incident prompted Christian leaders from around the world — including Pope Leo XIV — to urge Israel to stop its destruction of holy sites and civilian lives in Gaza and the West Bank.—
April 20,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
May the world know that Americans are ashamed and suffering and locked into despair and destruction, which now affects the world.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Minnesota is in the midst of an extinction crisis, with entire species being wiped out before they can even be identified.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Founded by Hampshire alum Aaron Lansky in 1980 as an effort to save Yiddish-language publications from extinction, the Yiddish Book Center purchased the land for its permanent campus space from the college in 1997.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The bill would require employers of more than 500 people in the livestock slaughter industry to provide reasonable access to restrooms.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Each contract is for 40,000 pounds of live cattle, typically about 30 to 35 head of finished, slaughter-ready cattle.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sunday’s massacre in Shreveport marks the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The acquisition came after Jones was found guilty multiple times of defaming the families of the children killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, after repeatedly describing the massacre as a hoax.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Amid the devastation, strangers formed profound, life-altering bonds in fleeting, life-or-death moments and connections that have endured for decades.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Spurs must somehow move on from the palpable devastation that left Kevin Danso on the floor, needing to be pulled up by his team-mates, and other players looking utterly crestfallen at the final whistle.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Depredation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depredation. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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