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 In the human body, for example, phages typically don’t exterminate their host bacteria. Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 Leering over his shoulder at every stage is his manipulative wife, Ylfa (Toni Collette), who encourages his worst instincts — like the assumption that Creepers are a threat and must therefore be exterminated — while indulging her obsession with sauces. Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025 All of Yosemite was on the backs of people who were exterminated. Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 6 Feb. 2025 The Nazi program was to exterminate all Jews. Avi Weiss, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exterminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exterminate
Verb
  • Screwworms were eradicated from the US by about 1966.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2025
  • The Department of Justice eradicated a decades-long civil rights case regarding the desegregation of a Louisiana school district.
    Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Buxton’s leadoff single in the ninth inning was erased by a double play, and the Twins only scored once in the 10th on Jonah Bride’s sac fly.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 2 May 2025
  • Every February, Dresden seeks to commemorate the Allied bombing attack in 1945 that essentially erased the city.
    Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • The Swiss government said Switzerland abolished all industrial tariffs on Jan. 1 last year, meaning that 99% of all goods from the United States can be imported into Switzerland duty-free.
    Paul Wiseman, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • In late April, reports emerged that President Trump’s 2026 budget could seek to abolish Head Start entirely, as recommended in Project 2025, the policy blueprint for the second Trump term.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • To allow these courts to be destroyed to make pickleball courts is just wrong.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2025
  • Are the Fantastic Four escaping their universe after the planet-devouring villain Galactus destroys their world?
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 2 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exterminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exterminate. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on exterminate

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