as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the state's population of moose has been replenished, having once been hunted almost to extinction
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of extinction
The dyrosaurid lineage spread across the globe, and the group as a whole even survived the extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs, researchers said.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Ben Lamm is making the impossible possible, working to bring animals back from extinction.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
The confirmation of Nanotyrannus’ existence means that Tyrannosaurus likely had some company for at least around one million years leading up to the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2025
By the 1900s, millions of birds had been killed for the feather trade, threatening the extinction of several species.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Ben Lamm is making the impossible possible, working to bring animals back from extinction.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
The confirmation of Nanotyrannus’ existence means that Tyrannosaurus likely had some company for at least around one million years leading up to the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2025
By the 1900s, millions of birds had been killed for the feather trade, threatening the extinction of several species.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinction
Noun
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Perhaps, curled inside the turbulent virginal atmosphere, Helm dreams of being a storm, has a prophetic vision of destruction, feels a natural calling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
What divides him from Burton is that Hopkins, by a miracle, summoned the clarity to renounce his own destruction.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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After constant requests during two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli military finally brings our correspondent into the territory to see the devastation in post-war northern Gaza firsthand.—
Greg Dixon,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
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In 2005, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, park officials made the decision to close Six Flags New Orleans permanently.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Texas Tech started slow in Manhattan, but the dam eventually broke due to Tech’s havoc-wreaking defense.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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The real reason is to wreak as much havoc as humanly possible, or at least that’s what we’re given to believe from the way the hostess swans about while deftly manipulating dozens of puppet strings simultaneously.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Maduro has ruled Venezuela with an iron fist since 2013 and has clung to power despite an apparently decisive loss in the 2024 presidential election.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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The former Indianapolis Colts owner didn’t want anyone to miss his message following the Colts’ catastrophic end-of-season collapse that was punctuated by a 26-11 loss to the 3-14 Jaguars.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Asked on Sunday why more Americans feel this way about Democrats than the president -- even amidst the East Wing demolitions or a White House Halloween party hosted during the shutdown -- Martin suggested Republicans were in hotter water and disapproved of by Americans more.—
Brittany Shepherd,
ABC News,
3 Nov. 2025
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Co-anchor Michael Che then addressed Trump proudly announcing the remodeling of a White House bathroom, on top of his demolition of the East Wing, which had stood for 123 years.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In Danis Tanovic’s underseen drama, Farrell plays an Irish war photographer who gets separated from his best friend and colleague in Iraqi Kurdistan in the prelude to Saddam Hussein’s 1988 extermination campaign against the Kurds.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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In New Zealand, a nationwide extermination campaign is underway.—
NPR,
NPR,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinction. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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