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 Great Dying is also the extinction event that most closely parallels Earth’s current environmental crisis.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
18 June 2026
The Tapanuli orangutan struggle to withstand even small increases in death rates and annual losses of more than 1% a year likely put the species on a path toward extinction, Meijaard said.
—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
That would come as a surprise to variola major, the virus that caused smallpox, driven to extinction by a vaccine.
—
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The gene duplication event that doubled the photosystems, allowing one copy to evolve a novel process, happened so long ago that any evidence of that first photosystem has been buried by extinction and billions of years of change.
—
Quanta Magazine,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
18 June 2026
The Tapanuli orangutan struggle to withstand even small increases in death rates and annual losses of more than 1% a year likely put the species on a path toward extinction, Meijaard said.
—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
That would come as a surprise to variola major, the virus that caused smallpox, driven to extinction by a vaccine.
—
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The gene duplication event that doubled the photosystems, allowing one copy to evolve a novel process, happened so long ago that any evidence of that first photosystem has been buried by extinction and billions of years of change.
—
Quanta Magazine,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinction
Noun
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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.
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And then there's water damage and the devastation caused by flooding.
Noun
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But in recent weeks, the fish have wreaked havoc for fishermen off the coast of Crete and several other Greek islands, chomping through nets.
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Heat and humidity can wreak havoc on their circuitry and batteries.
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.
Noun
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The Beck Recreation Center closed last summer, and part of the building is scheduled for demolition.
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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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There, something of a muskrat panic resulted in a war of extermination upon the animals starting in the early 1930s.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinction. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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