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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of extinction
Daytime and late-night programming are continuing their slow march toward extinction, with Kelly Clarkson, Sherri Shepherd, and Stephen Colbert all signing off for the last time this year.
—
Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
But some of those are challenges specific to de-extinction.
—ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
But her tireless work as a teacher has helped bring it back from the brink of extinction.
—New York Times, 19 May 2026
In 1984, traces of mitochondrial DNA had been found in the skin of a taxidermied quagga, a zebra-like species that had been hunted to extinction in the 1800s.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
But some of those are challenges specific to de-extinction.
—ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
But her tireless work as a teacher has helped bring it back from the brink of extinction.
—New York Times, 19 May 2026
In 1984, traces of mitochondrial DNA had been found in the skin of a taxidermied quagga, a zebra-like species that had been hunted to extinction in the 1800s.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinction
Noun
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Pratt did not deny the report and responded on X by blaming city leadership for the wildfire destruction.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
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The Pope also used his letter to issue the strongest papal condemnation of anti-migrant politics in years, sharply criticize modern capitalism and suggest climate destruction is a moral crime against the poor.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
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When the squad reported back to Kirkby five days after his death, the training complex was a scene of utter devastation.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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The capybara has since come to symbolize resilience and the determination to reclaim joy after devastation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Noun
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The Hornets thrived all season by creating havoc on the base paths.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
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Federico Chiesa Even though injuries have played havoc with Liverpool’s attack, Chiesa has been unable to secure a more meaningful role.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
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In that loss, USC stranded 13 runners, struck out 12 times and left men in scoring position in each of the first seven innings.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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The Trojans followed that with three consecutive singles to load the bases and chase Ciscar, who pitched two-plus innings of relief after logging just two outs as Miami’s starter in Saturday’s blowout loss to Florida.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Noun
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The Knicks closed out Atlanta with an unprecedented 51-point demolition in Game 6 of the first round.—
Kristian Winfield,
Sun Sentinel,
25 May 2026
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The Knicks closed out Atlanta with an unprecedented 51-point demolition in Game 6 of the first round.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinction. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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