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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of extinction
The Indiana plants are among five aging coal units across the country the DOE has saved from extinction by bypassing local regulators.
—
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 24 Mar. 2026
When Indigenous people were portrayed, they were typically depicted as anti-modern figures giving way to technology and fading away into extinction.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 24 Mar. 2026
By the 1800s, European settlers had displaced and hunted the once 60-million-strong bison population to near-extinction.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
In it, light-eating alien microbes sap the sun’s energy, threatening life on Earth with extinction.
—Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 24 Mar. 2026
When Indigenous people were portrayed, they were typically depicted as anti-modern figures giving way to technology and fading away into extinction.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 24 Mar. 2026
By the 1800s, European settlers had displaced and hunted the once 60-million-strong bison population to near-extinction.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
In it, light-eating alien microbes sap the sun’s energy, threatening life on Earth with extinction.
—Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinction
Noun
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The Sacramento County Parks Department says there's been a big increase in vandalism and destruction of the nature preserve due to unauthorized use of off-road bicycles and e-bikes.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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After the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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AccuWeather expects the Western Caribbean to be the most vulnerable, especially following the devastation brought by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa in 2025 to Jamaica and Cuba.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
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The consequences of that sabotage added to the environmental devastation wreaked by the oil multinationals.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Working low to high, causing havoc on the forecheck, getting pucks back.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2026
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Wild extremes of temperature, a heat dome, a potent bomb cyclone blizzard, epic rainfalls and violent tornadoes have wreaked weather havoc across the nation.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That’s high praise from one who has coached four Hall of Famers and several more who are destined to be so, but this team broke an eight-year championship drought last season and, despite the loss of superstar Paige Bueckers, didn’t skip a beat this year.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
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But the four losses to egregious tankers were inexcusable.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On Monday, cranes and demolition excavators tore down the exhibition hall closest to the Omni Hotel, dismembering parts of the building that will eventually unlock 20 to 30 acres for redevelopment and a new events facility.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Despite strong opposition, demolition is set to begin this week.—
Jennifer Bisram,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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For the safest extermination method, spray the nest after dusk when the wasps are not active.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinction. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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