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
-
He was indicted on three counts -- destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
-
Yes, the Cal State Fullerton softball team continued its destruction of the Big West Conference.—
Brian Robin,
Oc Register,
8 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
-
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 goal of all this havoc is not to destroy democracy, according to Vergara—though that might be a welcome side effect, to some—but to torpedo the rule of law and thereby protect illicit financial gains.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
Finally, incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc.—
Joanna Ossinger,Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
City officials say demolition will begin in the fall and that construction of the new bandshell will start by the end of the year.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
Doing so would require significant space, and could involve the demolition of residential buildings directly opposite the church.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The Angels scored only five runs in their first five losses to the Dodgers, and Rivero – a 27-year-old journeyman backup catcher – drove in six all by himself on Sunday.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
-
If dangerous logistics and supply runs can be achieved using cheap autonomous electric vehicles, the costs of losses become more acceptable.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extermination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extermination. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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