extermination

noun

Definition of exterminationnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for extermination
  1. destruction
  2. extinction
  3. havoc
  4. demolition
  5. loss
Noun
  • That campaign, started during Barack Obama’s presidency, included battles in Mosul, where an effort to evict approximately 5,000 ISIS fighters in the city led to perhaps 10,000 civilian deaths and the destruction of the city.
    Eugene Kontorovich, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Zepeda pleaded guilty on Aug. 15 to felony destruction of property for dumping a fine red powder over a display case containing the U.S. Constitution in the Rotunda of the Archives building.
    Stepheny Price, Fox News, 26 Nov. 2024
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • At the next annual meeting of the AOU, Allen got three conservation resolutions passed—including one demanding the complete protection of any species on the verge of extinction.
    Tim Gallagher, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Related article Antarctica’s emperor penguins at risk of extinction due to the climate crisis The animals are only found in the wild in Antarctica, but they are increasingly threatened by the climate crisis.
    Jack Guy, CNN, 6 Nov. 2024
Definition of extinction
Noun
  • Finding a way to start over The havoc from Cyclone Freddy was widespread across several countries, displacing 650,000 people from their homes in Malawi alone.
    Lauren Sommer, NPR, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Just like hiking the Appalachian Trail, volunteers and officials agreed the repairs and cleanup after Helene’s havoc would be a complex journey for the trail’s enormous community.
    Graham Hurley, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • David Tendler, deliberate and even-keeled, recommends an aggressive response and files an immediate TRO, or Temporary Restraining Order, forcing Han to stop his demolition.
    Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
  • The other player was Kalif Raymond who achieved the feat on Sunday for the Detroit Lions in their demolition of the Tennessee Titans.
    Ben Morse, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024
Definition of demolition
Noun
  • The Browns have suffered losses to the Giants and Raiders on a resume that includes a seemingly inexplicable victory over Baltimore.
    Jack Magruder, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
  • An anonymous donor emailed O’Connell the same day the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published its Nov. 6 story about the youth shelter’s sudden loss in federal funding.
    Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024
Definition of loss
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near extermination

exterminating

extermination

exterminations

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Extermination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extermination. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on extermination

Nglish: Translation of extermination for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of extermination for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
sweet smart pug puppy dog sitting in front of blackboard with chalk question marks
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Vol. 3 Do you have a (flare/flair) for choosing the righ...