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
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
Powers and his wife Marilyn keep watch over the cattle for the Predator Conservation Alliance to help keep wolves and grizzly bears out of the herds and reduce livestock depredation.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 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
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
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
Powers and his wife Marilyn keep watch over the cattle for the Predator Conservation Alliance to help keep wolves and grizzly bears out of the herds and reduce livestock depredation.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depredation
Noun
-
Following the animal’s death and diagnosis, 64 rats that were killed through extermination or found dead on the San Diego Zoo property were examined, and two adult rats were found to be infected with lungworms and associated pneumonia.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
For the safest extermination method, spray the nest after dusk when the wasps are not active.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Sacramento County Parks Department says there's been a big increase in vandalism and destruction of the nature preserve due to unauthorized use of off-road bicycles and e-bikes.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
After the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Rice’s whale is the species closest to the brink of extinction in the Gulf, but other endangered and threatened species live there too, including sea turtles, manatees and whooping cranes.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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According to a report released ahead of the summit, nearly half (49 percent) of all species catalogued by the CMS are showing signs of declining numbers, and nearly one in four are threatened with extinction on a worldwide scale.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That's because the industry is suddenly less burdened by excess slaughter capacity that had been keeping profit margins low.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, the countdown isn’t just for the inevitable mass slaughter but also for the nuptials of Rachel Harkin (Camila Morrone) and Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco).—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Conceived in 2015, Goliath’s Elegy comprises performance and video, and addresses femicide killings of trans and gay people in South Africa as well as the Herero and Nama massacre conducted by German colonial forces in the 1900s in what is now Namibia.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
25 Mar. 2026
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In the days and weeks following the Hamas massacre of innocent Israelis on October 7, 2023, students and colleagues alike in his academic community posted fiery condemnations of and expressions of moral disgust toward … Israel.—
Jesse Brown,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
AccuWeather expects the Western Caribbean to be the most vulnerable, especially following the devastation brought by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa in 2025 to Jamaica and Cuba.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
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The consequences of that sabotage added to the environmental devastation wreaked by the oil multinationals.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Depredation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depredation. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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