Synonym Chooser

How does the verb exterminate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of exterminate are eradicate, extirpate, and uproot. While all these words mean "to effect the destruction or abolition of something," exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

exterminate cockroaches

When is eradicate a more appropriate choice than exterminate?

The meanings of eradicate and exterminate largely overlap; however, eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

When is it sensible to use extirpate instead of exterminate?

The words extirpate and exterminate can be used in similar contexts, but extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

many species have been extirpated from the area

When might uproot be a better fit than exterminate?

In some situations, the words uproot and exterminate are roughly equivalent. However, uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

the war uprooted thousands

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 exterminate Until then, the Palestinians continue to dig their own grave as a result of the decades-old philosophy of viewing Israel as an enemy and the desire to exterminate every Jew and the state of Israel. Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2025 If the permit is granted, the gulls' eggs can only be exterminated during roosting season between mid-May and mid-June. Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 15 Sep. 2025 Animalia explains that woylies were once considered pests and were exterminated in huge numbers. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025 Both the Lava Bed bighorns and the Rocky Mountain bighorns were exterminated, early in the history of the state. Tim Kelly, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exterminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exterminate
Verb
  • His replacement, Nuno Espirito Santo, is another pragmatist, but West Ham’s performances had been so muddled as to eradicate hope, the nadir being a 2-0 home defeat by Brentford in which the hosts, despite the cost of their squad, already resembled a Championship team.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Organizers are unrolling multiple methods for eradicating these issues in 2026.
    Katie Bain, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The drop in SoftBank shares has erased nearly $50 billion in market cap over two days.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
  • These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • For more than 100 years, enslaved people lived and labored in the colonies, but after the Revolutionary War, northern states eventually abolished most forms of enslavement by the early 1800s, led by Vermont in 1777.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Trump has spent the last week-plus pressuring Republicans to abolish the filibuster to end the government shutdown, now the longest in history, through a simple majority vote in the Senate.
    Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • So, automation can be used to destroy labor or workers’ power, but it can also be used in the opposite direction.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Homes, businesses and synagogues were destroyed.
    Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 9 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exterminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exterminate. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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