Definition of extinguishnext
1
as in to choke
to cause to cease burning the fire in the skillet was quickly extinguished by slamming the lid on

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2
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of a fatal blunder that extinguished all hope that the team would actually win the play-offs

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3
as in to shush
to stop the noise or speech of her final, telling point extinguished her opponents on the city council

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of extinguish Fire brigades worked to extinguish a fire that broke out at the site, officials said. Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026 The strike caused an intense fire at the hospital, with footage from local television showing rescue crews combing through the wreckage with flashlights late into the night as firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze. Abdul Qahar Afghan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026 The latter, which would prohibit any company that did business with the government from using Claude at all, would extinguish the company. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026 Any thoughts of a Spartan comeback quickly got extinguished at the start of the third quarter as Broderick and Baacke keyed an 8-2 run that pushed the lead to 36-18. Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for extinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinguish
Verb
  • The artistic director, Massimiliano Gioni, has for years staged sprawling, mind-bending exhibitions inside a vault that choked them.
    Jerry Saltz, Curbed, 20 Mar. 2026
  • The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war has choked global oil supply.
    Victor Ordonez, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Weeks later, his father was killed in a fire that destroyed the home Hamlin purchased to thank his parents for getting him into NASCAR.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said its systems intercepted and destroyed 10 drones over the capital, Riyadh, and the kingdom’s eastern region.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Some shushed the crowds, urging them to be silent and reverent.
    CBS News, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.
    Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • To quench your thirst, sip water or plain fizzy water.
    Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 16 Mar. 2026
  • My skin was quenched and cleansed at once, and Vargas’ fluency in her craft made the time absolutely fly by.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The 39-year-old photographer from Beirut captured a stunning sequence of images in the early hours of Wednesday, showing an IDF missile demolishing a tower block in one fell swoop.
    Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
  • With the convention center demolished for renovations, festivalgoers moving between key areas like Rainey Street and Congress Avenue felt the city’s transportation gaps more acutely.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Whoever killed Jocelyn Peters may have silenced the gunshot in her apartment, but outside surveillance cameras on the street were recording.
    Marcelena Spencer, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • The notion that the town cut a political deal in faraway Tallahassee to honor Trump and silence its own residents has only heightened the furor.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Severe weather watches, warnings and alerts blanketed the middle of the country as forecasters warned of blizzard-like conditions and thunderstorms.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
  • See the Sunset at The Shady Llama Watch the the sun set violet over the rolling hills that blanket the earth below The Shady Llama's plateau.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The evening's historic tie almost gets totally ruined For only the seventh time in history, the Oscar vote ended in a tie.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 15 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinguish. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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