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
There, something of a muskrat panic resulted in a war of extermination upon the animals starting in the early 1930s.
—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
22 June 2026
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
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
22 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extermination
Noun
-
David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, told the the Washington Post he was arrested on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.
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This came on the heels of another round of tornadoes just four days earlier that leveled buildings and caused widespread destruction across the region.
Noun
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Following years of economic devastation and underinvestment in public services, the country’s infrastructure – from hospitals to electricity and water – is ill-equipped to deal with a crisis like this.
-
And then there's water damage and the devastation caused by flooding.
Noun
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With ruthless competitors who will stop at nothing to dethrone and destroy them, the Whitlocks are a blue-collar dynasty at the edge of extinction – and the old king is fighting to hold onto the crown.
-
Companies should think of the SaaSpocalypse as an urgent wake-up call, treating this moment as an opportunity for evolution rather than an extinction event.
Noun
-
But in recent weeks, the fish have wreaked havoc for fishermen off the coast of Crete and several other Greek islands, chomping through nets.
-
Heat and humidity can wreak havoc on their circuitry and batteries.
Noun
-
The Beck Recreation Center closed last summer, and part of the building is scheduled for demolition.
-
And the proposal could be subject to the city’s demolition review process for historic buildings through the Historic Preservation Commission, which could vote to delay demolition for up to 45 days.
Noun
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Cruz, who also gave up an RBI single to Anthony Seigler and a game-tying sac fly to Tsung-Che Cheng, made sure to take responsibility for his part in the loss.
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But shareholders have pushed back against hefty pay packages, which come during a period of upheaval in Hollywood that has been buffeted by job losses from media consolidation and outsourcing.
Cite this Entry
“Extermination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extermination. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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