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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Federal wildlife agents confirmed the two depredation events, which took place Friday and Saturday, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
—
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2025
Despite years of sitting on the sidelines, the United States has an opportunity to reassert itself in seeking to end the depredations of the junta and advance the cause of democracy in Myanmar.
—Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
Four people were arrested, and three were charged felony offenses of assaulting a federal officer, while the fourth was charged with misdemeanor offense of depredation of government property, according to a Department of Justice press release.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2025
Much of Russian research never fully recovered from the depredations of the Stalin era.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The pack consists of up to 15 wolves of various ages roaming federal public land near an active cattle grazing allotment, where many of the depredation incidents took place, according the memo.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 24 Aug. 2025
From July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, Idaho Wildlife Services investigated 99 wolf depredations.
—Nathan Rott, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025
Researchers say more study is needed to pinpoint the causes of angler-shark encounters and whether depredation is actually increasing or simply being reported more often, including through social media.
—Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2025
Despite years of sitting on the sidelines, the United States has an opportunity to reassert itself in seeking to end the depredations of the junta and advance the cause of democracy in Myanmar.
—Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
Four people were arrested, and three were charged felony offenses of assaulting a federal officer, while the fourth was charged with misdemeanor offense of depredation of government property, according to a Department of Justice press release.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2025
Much of Russian research never fully recovered from the depredations of the Stalin era.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The pack consists of up to 15 wolves of various ages roaming federal public land near an active cattle grazing allotment, where many of the depredation incidents took place, according the memo.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 24 Aug. 2025
From July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, Idaho Wildlife Services investigated 99 wolf depredations.
—Nathan Rott, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025
Researchers say more study is needed to pinpoint the causes of angler-shark encounters and whether depredation is actually increasing or simply being reported more often, including through social media.
—Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depredation
Noun
-
Besides extermination, these companies also may be able to assist with locating and sealing entry points or making other recommendations for exclusion.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
-
An extermination of the brutes in the Middle East, presided over by Obama’s successors, has been followed by a swift cancellation by Trumpian decree of the postracial age.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Israeli officials say Hamas could hand over six more bodies immediately out of the 15 still believed in Gaza, though some remains may be impossible to recover amid widespread destruction.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Amid the destruction of war and the uncertainty of a ceasefire barely a week old, Palestinians in Gaza now face a stark reality.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Green turtles, once on the brink, bounce back Green turtles, once on the brink of extinction, have bounced back, a new report found.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Will our unpredictable youth save the Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy from extinction?—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Some will welcome it; there is certainly an argument that the attempts to imitate Guardiola’s style, playing from the back against high-class opponents with a plan to press them into mistakes, led to some coaches leading their teams like lambs to the slaughter.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cell tower data placed his phone inside Israel near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the sites where Hamas and its supporters carried out a brutal massacre.—
Greg Norman , Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Bondi established the task force in February to spearhead the DOJ’s investigations into the perpetrators of the massacre.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Behind Sarnow and Common Council members, employees used equipment to lift a wrecked SUV with its left front side smashed in, a somber reminder of the devastation caused by reckless driving.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The fighting has also contributed to environmental devastation.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Depredation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depredation. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share