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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depredation
Noun
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Unfortunately for the over 200 families and individuals renting at Acacia Cliffs, the City Council has incentivized our displacement and the destruction of 290 of the most affordable apartments in West Austin.—
Shonda Novak,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025 -
Weary of dealing with angry calls from the mayor about Frank’s blithe trail of city property destruction, police chief Davis (CCH Pounder) warns him to play nice with major donor Kane, since Police Squad’s funding is at risk.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Food production alone is the leading driver of deforestation, land degradation, and wildlife extinction.—
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Due to hunting and habitat loss, Asian golden cats are considered vulnerable and at risk of extinction, officials said.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
29 July 2025
Noun
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Some 4% of the cattle the U.S. feeds to slaughter for beef comes from Mexico.—
Josh Funk,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
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The goal of preserving and strengthening the bear population is fundamentally at odds with a pre-holiday slaughter.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 July 2025
Noun
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His original response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre of Israelis and others certainly was expected — a death penalty for the Palestinian terrorists who make even their own people suffer.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
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These same groups later carried out many of the grisly sectarian massacres of Alawite civilians along Syria’s coastal Latakia province in March, which killed at least 1,479, mostly civilians, following attacks by remnants of the former Assad regime.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Depredation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depredation. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.
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