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 Watch Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on Disney+ Eternals After exterminating the invasive Deviants, the Eternals, a group of ancient heroes with unique powers, separate for 500 years. Jacqueline Weiss, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025 Israel’s allies are desperately trying to change the country’s war trajectory as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to relent on his mission to exterminate Hamas. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 May 2025 Tibbles and her feral offspring swiftly exterminated the island’s endemic Lyall’s wren — a flightless, songbird that had evolved without mammalian predators. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025 When Sydney attempts to exterminate his little brother’s personal collection of creepy crawlies, Slade is mysteriously shrunken down and thrust into the center of a minuscule, yet no less epic, struggle taking place on his front lawn. Josh Weiss, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exterminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exterminate
Verb
  • But advocates say eradicating the Iranian nuclear threat and weakening the regime is in America's national interests because Tehran is a significant destabilizing force in the Middle East, where the United States has key allies and partners, such as Israel and Qatar.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
  • Although the red autumn fruits with yellow casings make a lovely Thanksgiving wreath, this woody vine is difficult to manage and eradicate.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 June 2025
Verb
  • But the suddenly lukewarm Rockies, who seemed primed to erase the 2024 Sox from the record books, entered Wednesday’s game against Washington with a three-game win streak and a 7-7 record in their last 14 games.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025
  • Clark tried to erase the memories of his disappointment at Oakmont with an opening round 6-under 64 on Thursday, putting him tied for second in the early afternoon.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • Lethal injection is the only method of execution after firing squads were abolished in 2011.
    Reuters, NBC news, 26 June 2025
  • Beginning in the 1950s, between 20 million and 25 million households gained ownership of plots of land through the government’s scheme to abolish the colonial-era zamindari system of tax-collecting landlords.
    Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Kanye West fired multiple PR firms before his antisemitic meltdowns destroyed billion-dollar partnerships with Adidas and Gap.
    Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Indeterminate numbers of casualties have occurred in both Iran and Israel, though Israel's intentions to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities may require U.S. artillery aid in the form of multi-ton bunker buster bombs.
    Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exterminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exterminate. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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