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
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
Those nonlethal management methods reduced the risk of depredation but were not 100% successful, said Ethan Kohn, a wildlife damage specialist.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Federal prosecutors charged Castillo with depredation of government property.
—Brandon Downs, CBS News, 15 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
Ron Kampeas, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026
Those nonlethal management methods reduced the risk of depredation but were not 100% successful, said Ethan Kohn, a wildlife damage specialist.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Federal prosecutors charged Castillo with depredation of government property.
—Brandon Downs, CBS News, 15 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
-
GameStop’s $65 billion, half-cash/half-stock bid would heavily dilute shareholders, add risky leverage, and require an unrealistically high valuation multiple, making value destruction more likely than creating an Amazon rival.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
The letter warns that these dynamics are not only driving environmental destruction but also weakening Indigenous governance and territorial control.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Cable looked like an extinction event for broadcast.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
-
For now, Northbrook Court has no plans of closing its doors, but from the looks of it, it may soon be headed toward extinction.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 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
-
This article includes graphic and disturbing accounts from the October 7 massacre in Israel.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
But 2026 has marked a new nadir for one of the world’s oldest civilizations, with the government’s massacre of anti-regime protestors in January and widespread destruction from the United States’ and Israel’s intermittent war.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The environmental devastation left behind is immense.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
-
Former reality television star and current Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt welcomed Mother’s Day with an emotional video highlighting the devastation of the 2025 California wildfires on his family.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Depredation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depredation. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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