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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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 Melissa Farris, 41, of Elizabethtown, was arrested on federal charges of depredation against property of the United States and destruction of veterans' memorials, according to previous reporting. — Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Aug. 2026 She was charged with depredation against federal property and destruction of veterans’ memorials. — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026 Plus the farmers there see it as a useful depredation tool and the locals like the meat (more on that below). — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026 As the Shiite arc of alliance weakens from Iran to Lebanon due to the US/Israeli depredation of Tehran’s power, Sunni states look set to fill the vacuum. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 28 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for depredation

Noun

The ongoing tempest includes Camille Sims (Alexandria Riley) having to prevent a Safeguard extermination as the new Head of IT this year, and the revelation of ex-security chief Robert Sims (Common) regarding Bernard (Tim Robbins).

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Decreasing habitat, poaching, and extermination are some of the reasons why cheetahs are endangered.

— Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of extermination

Noun

The deadly wall of water that descended from the mountains on the border between Nepal and Tibet caused destruction at least 62 miles downriver from the border in Nepal, an ABC News analysis of verified video and satellite images shows.

— Jon Haworth, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Trump has also promoted the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities and navy, and the reduction in missile and drone capabilities, as measures of success.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of destruction

Noun

In 2023, Gates, along with Suleyman, Hassabis, and hundreds of other tech and policy leaders, signed a statement saying the risk of extinction from AI should be treated as a global priority alongside pandemics and nuclear war.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Free mall parking is the latest complimentary perk on the verge of extinction.

— Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of extinction

Noun

Recoiling from the mass slaughter of animals, the authors question the linkage of reason and the soul.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
The bureau did not pause sales to Jones after four horses sold to him were reportedly discovered at an auction in Tennessee that’s frequented by slaughter buyers.

— Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of slaughter

Noun

Once the ruthless commander of Bosnian Serb forces, Mladic oversaw the siege of Sarajevo, mass killings and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre that left more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys dead.

— Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Ratko Mladić, the Bosnian-Serb general who orchestrated the Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo during the Balkan wars, has died in prison aged 84.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of massacre

Noun

For France, long accustomed to wildfires along arid stretches of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the devastation in Le Porge has yielded rare consensus that its fire safety system is not up to fighting mega-fires brought on by climate change.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Hunter said it’s been sad to see photos of the devastation wrought by the fire.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of devastation

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depredation

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“Depredation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depredation. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of depredation

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