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 data on genomes that are cached in the museum will be open-sourced, providing researchers and geneticists around the world with information on all 10,000 species, in pursuit of conservation or de-extinction projects similar to what Colossal achieved with the dire wolf.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
With fewer than 10,000 of the mammals remaining and both species slow breeders, conservationists say long-term restoration is crucial to prevent the Mexican long-nosed bat’s extinction.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
There were participants in our cohort who remained rightfully critical of our utopian aims, our spectrum of privilege, and our position as cultural workers living through global extinction, famine, corruption, and violence in all its forms.
—Catherine Taft, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
But his refusal to adapt may now ensure his extinction.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
With fewer than 10,000 of the mammals remaining and both species slow breeders, conservationists say long-term restoration is crucial to prevent the Mexican long-nosed bat’s extinction.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
There were participants in our cohort who remained rightfully critical of our utopian aims, our spectrum of privilege, and our position as cultural workers living through global extinction, famine, corruption, and violence in all its forms.
—Catherine Taft, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
But his refusal to adapt may now ensure his extinction.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinction
Noun
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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
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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
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The Palestinian American poet Noor Hindi and the Sudanese American poet Safia Elhillo described the devastation of their homelands.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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The conflict that ended in 1992 resulted in the deaths of 75,000 civilians, forced more than a million Salvadorans to flee the country and caused severe economic devastation for those who remained.—
Yamlek Mojica,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinction. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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