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
Steam Treatment An extermination team can also use hot steam or steam foam at temperatures of around 200 degrees Fahrenheit or higher to kill bed bugs.
—
Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 16 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
But when Mickey is cloned prematurely, resulting in multiple Mickeys, both Mickeys find themselves in danger of extermination.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
Leaders from around the world gathered in Jerusalem on Tuesday to highlight the global surge in antisemitism on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked annually on the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi extermination camp.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The family was forced into a cattle car packed full of mostly Jewish people, forced to go to what was supposed to be a work camp at Auschwitz in Poland, but was an extermination camp.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Her foundation helped fund a plan with the mayor of Bucharest in Romania to sterilize hundreds of thousands of stray dogs in the city, as an alternative to extermination.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
And, indeed, Jewish history is fraught with stretches of harsh conditions, including persecution, exile and extermination.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Dec. 2025
But by 1970, almost none existed in the wild, a consequence of hunting and extermination.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 28 Nov. 2025
Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 16 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
But when Mickey is cloned prematurely, resulting in multiple Mickeys, both Mickeys find themselves in danger of extermination.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
Leaders from around the world gathered in Jerusalem on Tuesday to highlight the global surge in antisemitism on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked annually on the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi extermination camp.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The family was forced into a cattle car packed full of mostly Jewish people, forced to go to what was supposed to be a work camp at Auschwitz in Poland, but was an extermination camp.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Her foundation helped fund a plan with the mayor of Bucharest in Romania to sterilize hundreds of thousands of stray dogs in the city, as an alternative to extermination.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
And, indeed, Jewish history is fraught with stretches of harsh conditions, including persecution, exile and extermination.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Dec. 2025
But by 1970, almost none existed in the wild, a consequence of hunting and extermination.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extermination
Noun
-
He was initially charged in July 2025 and indicted by a grand jury on one count of malicious destruction of government property in August 2025.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The Michigan State Police says the suspect now faces 11 felony charges and eight misdemeanor charges that include check fraud and malicious destruction of property.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
It's all told from the vantage point of a woman trying to make sense of her life in the face of devastation, sometimes grasping for signs that only hindsight can uncover.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
This has brought generational devastation.—
Stephen Swanson,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Another drought in 2007 reduced it again to about 750, putting the bird on the brink of extinction.—
Sofia Baltodano,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The company also typically partners with conservation groups hoping to protect specific species and with local and regional indigenous groups who would have interest and be impacted by de-extinction or the loss of a species.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ebba Andersson tumbled and snapped the ski binding in the second leg, giving Norway the advantage on a day where warm weather caused slushy corners that created havoc in the early stages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Three minutes of comedy chasing and evasive action ensued before play resumed, only for the four-legged fiend to return to wreak more havoc than the home attack had previously shown.—
Craig Chisnall,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The demolition of La Brea Bakery forced the closure of the temporary Earl of Sandwich restaurant that had taken over the location during construction of a new permanent Earl of Sandwich location on the west end of Downtown Disney.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The measures follow years of accusations by Palestinians that actions by settlers and the military — campaigns of violence, harassment and demolitions — have pushed them from their land.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Those market jitters saw over $1 trillion wiped from the market caps of big tech firms, though some stocks have since recovered some of their losses.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
-
That was Wembanyama, who had 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks in the World’s first loss and 19 points – including a pair of clutch 3-pointers – in its second.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extermination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extermination. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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