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 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 Robots built Trantor and the Galactic Empire, and then humans took those gifts and turned on their creation, hunting down and exterminating all robots. Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025 After wolves were exterminated from the Yellowstone region in the 1920s, the elk population more than doubled, causing significant damage to the area’s grasses, shrubs, and trees. Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 29 Aug. 2025 For reasons that are no longer relevant to the dead, or to the unflinching new Laura Poitras documentary that begins with their murders, the Americans began to exterminate the entire population. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exterminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exterminate
Verb
  • But Ukraine says Russia is waging an imperial war of conquest to eradicate Ukrainian sovereignty and identity, and illegally bring it under Kremlin control.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Sixth-generation Texas rancher James Clement III told CNBC the key to eradicating the screwworm threat is years out.
    Lori Ann LaRocco, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Private equity firms are showing a great interest in buying into the NFL — the biggest and most profitable sports league in the world — and are boosting values by setting a floor on valuations and erasing concerns other limited partners may have had over liquidity, CNBC reported.
    Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 22 Oct. 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, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That uneven use of the death penalty is one of the reasons advocates want to abolish it.
    Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Additionally, individual states can’t decide to abolish the practice without Congressional approval.
    Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Almost every building is damaged or destroyed beyond repair.
    Kara Fox, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
  • According to Craig Croucher of the Bot Builders, around 300 spectators turned out to watch the robots destroy each other.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exterminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exterminate. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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