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
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
For the safest extermination method, spray the nest after dusk when the wasps are not active.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 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
Karski had managed to visit the Warsaw ghetto and a transit stop for the Bełżec extermination camp.
—Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
By the middle of the 20th century, decades of aggressive hunting, trapping, and mass poisoning had pushed the Lower 48’s gray wolves to the point of near extermination.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
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
For the safest extermination method, spray the nest after dusk when the wasps are not active.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 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
Karski had managed to visit the Warsaw ghetto and a transit stop for the Bełżec extermination camp.
—Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
By the middle of the 20th century, decades of aggressive hunting, trapping, and mass poisoning had pushed the Lower 48’s gray wolves to the point of near extermination.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extermination
Noun
-
The incident prompted Christian leaders from around the world — including Pope Leo XIV — to urge Israel to stop its destruction of holy sites and civilian lives in Gaza and the West Bank.—
April 20,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
May the world know that Americans are ashamed and suffering and locked into despair and destruction, which now affects the world.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Amid the devastation, strangers formed profound, life-altering bonds in fleeting, life-or-death moments and connections that have endured for decades.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Spurs must somehow move on from the palpable devastation that left Kevin Danso on the floor, needing to be pulled up by his team-mates, and other players looking utterly crestfallen at the final whistle.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Minnesota is in the midst of an extinction crisis, with entire species being wiped out before they can even be identified.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Founded by Hampshire alum Aaron Lansky in 1980 as an effort to save Yiddish-language publications from extinction, the Yiddish Book Center purchased the land for its permanent campus space from the college in 1997.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The aim is for Abdul to cause havoc in the United States, the West Bank and Iran.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In the twentieth century, the same storms that made headlines in New York wreaked quieter havoc across the river.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Trump has also repeatedly railed against a federal judge who ordered construction on the ballroom — which required the surprise demolition of the White House’s East Wing — to be temporarily halted until the president receives authorization from Congress.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
One minute, the robots are a construction crew, and the next, a demolition team.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For thousands of data-loss victims, the last resort is a recovery service called DriveSavers.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The lack of disclosure comes as other states record mounting losses in tax revenue to data center subsidies.—
Kevin Hardy,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extermination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extermination. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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