DEPREDATION Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

depredation

noun

Definition of depredation

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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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 depredation According to the Montana Grizzly Bear Conflict Dashboard, the state has recorded 101 conflicts so far this year, including 30 livestock depredations and 34 encounters with humans. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026 No amount of macho beatdowns in the UFC cage matches on the White House lawn will make anyone forget Epstein’s depredations. — Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 The striped bass shark depredations have also been occurring off Chatham’s Monomoy Island — a hotspot for seals, which attract great white sharks. — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 15 June 2026 More than $1 million has reportedly been paid to rancher claimants for wildlife depredation. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 18 May 2026 His nanny was his fierce protector and insulated him from the depredations of Nazis and their enablers, baptizing him and teaching him to handily hurl anti-Jewish epithets to fit in. — Ron Kampeas, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026 Federal prosecutors charged Castillo with depredation of government property. — Brandon Downs, CBS News, 15 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for depredation

Noun

If, after applying these treatment measures and preventative actions, the problem persists, seek professional pest extermination services.

— Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 July 2026
Grossman arrived at Treblinka—which consisted of separate labor and extermination camps—not long after the Germans had killed nearly all the remaining prisoners and withdrawn.

— Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 8 July 2026

Definition of extermination

Noun

Growing concerns over wildfire preparedness The destruction of Collins has renewed questions about whether Ontario’s wildfire strategy is keeping pace with increasingly intense fire seasons.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill to protect federal artworks, including New Deal-era masterpieces, from possible sale or destruction.

— Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of destruction

Noun

Disney's new live-action Moana recently premiered, but another significant milestone happened earlier this year with the release of Moana 2 in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaii's indigenous language that was once on the brink of extinction.

— Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
For the first time since COVID threatened theaters with extinction, Hollywood is letting out a huge sigh of relief.

— Brent Lang, Variety, 15 July 2026

Definition of extinction

Noun

But the slaughter is not painted as an unmitigated triumph for the Greeks.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026
He was appalled by the slaughter, but, more than that, by the complacency of his neighbors, their willingness to ignore the bloody work being done under their noses.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Definition of slaughter

Noun

When the suitors’ massacre begins, Melantho tries to escape, but Penelope shuts the hall’s door on her and presumably seals her fate.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026
That law was passed soon after the Parkland school shooting massacre that left 17 students and staff dead.

— Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026

Definition of massacre

Noun

Burnham has criticized Starmer's approach to Israel's war with Hamas and the devastation of Gaza.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
Their stories recount the devastation to homes and businesses, life in temporary shelters, and the difficult process of rebuilding or relocating.

— Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

Definition of devastation

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depredating

depredation

depredations

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“Depredation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depredation. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of depredation

noun

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