as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the virtual extermination of the native tribes by the colonizers
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Recent Examples of extermination
Timothy Wong, technical director of MMPC, a pest management company that provides residential and commercial extermination, prevention, and property protection services, prioritizing environmentally friendly, natural pest control solutions.
—
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026
Though the ideas of modern political Zionism long predate the Holocaust, Israel was established by the world community in response to the unimaginable atrocities and extermination perpetrated by the Nazis, who murdered one out of every three Jews on the planet.
—Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
When the ants come marching in, many of us frantically raid our cabinets and garage shelves for any means of immediate extermination.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026
When members of the crew begin to die, the line between spectacle and extermination starts to blur.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
While extinctions are always multi-faceted, the extermination of some species can be almost directly linked to the insatiable appetites of modern humans.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
All of his family except Harris and two of his sisters was deported to the Nazis’ Treblinka extermination camp and ultimately murdered.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Besides extermination, these companies also may be able to assist with locating and sealing entry points or making other recommendations for exclusion.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026
Though the ideas of modern political Zionism long predate the Holocaust, Israel was established by the world community in response to the unimaginable atrocities and extermination perpetrated by the Nazis, who murdered one out of every three Jews on the planet.
—Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
When the ants come marching in, many of us frantically raid our cabinets and garage shelves for any means of immediate extermination.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026
When members of the crew begin to die, the line between spectacle and extermination starts to blur.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
While extinctions are always multi-faceted, the extermination of some species can be almost directly linked to the insatiable appetites of modern humans.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
All of his family except Harris and two of his sisters was deported to the Nazis’ Treblinka extermination camp and ultimately murdered.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Besides extermination, these companies also may be able to assist with locating and sealing entry points or making other recommendations for exclusion.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extermination
Noun
-
She was arrested at a hotel near the barn and booked at the Clark County Juvenile Hall on 12 counts of animal cruelty, including intentionally aiming or torturing a horse, as well as three counts of malicious destruction of property.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
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The teen, who was at a nearby hotel, was taken into custody and booked for 12 counts of willful/malicious kill/maim/torture animal -- horse and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000, police said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The unexplained detonation of explosives stored by one of Myanmar’s rebel armies has killed dozens, the militia that controls the village and witnesses said Monday, as the search for survivors continued amid widespread devastation at the site.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
-
Leigh opened up about the devastation of his loss last month.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
Noun
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For months, the loudest voices in artificial intelligence—including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei—warned that entry-level white-collar jobs were headed for extinction.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
-
As this natural history points out, birds are dinosaurs—the only ones who survived the last extinction event.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The Hornets thrived all season by creating havoc on the base paths.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
-
Federico Chiesa Even though injuries have played havoc with Liverpool’s attack, Chiesa has been unable to secure a more meaningful role.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The list highlights some of the community's most historic landmarks, either shuttered or at risk of demolition.—
Dawn White,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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The annual event marks the anniversary of the estate’s rescue from potential demolition by Flagler’s granddaughter, Jean Flagler Matthews, who established the Flagler Museum in 1959.—
Kari Barnett,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
In that loss, USC stranded 13 runners, struck out 12 times and left men in scoring position in each of the first seven innings.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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The Trojans followed that with three consecutive singles to load the bases and chase Ciscar, who pitched two-plus innings of relief after logging just two outs as Miami’s starter in Saturday’s blowout loss to Florida.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extermination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extermination. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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