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 Over 50 fire department units responded to the incident to extinguish the flames, La Prensa reported. Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026 As if, for the rest of the day, there were a fire within her, impossible to extinguish. Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026 Fires started by lithium-ion batteries are also notoriously hard to extinguish. Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026 Firefighters contained the blaze and limited damage to living areas, allowing residents to collect personal belongings after the fire was extinguished, the release said. Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for extinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinguish
Verb
  • Milne had grabbed his wife by the neck, choked her, dragged her around, restrained her, punched her and knocked her unconscious.
    CBS News, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Hospital staff later found her husband choking and struggling to breathe.
    Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • All the State Forensic Authority’s DNA analysis labs were looted and destroyed in the fighting.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
  • But now with factories, energy facilities, bridges and railways destroyed—leaving many Iranians unemployed—conditions have gotten worse.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Lyonne shushed the staffer, got up and headed to the bathroom, according to Page Six.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The six tell the woman to shush/hush.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Bradenton Police Department shared adorable video that showed a parched manatee taking a break and quenching its thirst with some fresh water that was coming off a police boat.
    Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
  • On a Monday last spring, Guelleh stood watching a procession of goats, donkeys and camels quenching their thirst at the water tank that once supplied his field.
    Julie Bourdin, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Chappaquiddick would have demolished the career of most, but not Ted, and not in Kennedy country.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Last fall, a portion of the White House East Wing was demolished to make way for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
    Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This election is a profound game-changer, not only for the people, but also the arts, liberating all those who were despised, sidelined or silenced by the corrupt regime.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Letters give way to silence — and then, sometimes, to something far more serious.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The former Exide Technologies plant in Vernon melted down pallets of lead-acid car batteries in blast furnaces for nearly a century, blanketing up to 10,000 nearby properties with toxic dust, according to state officials.
    Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Four exposures blanket the home with light, while a rooftop terrace off a semi-circular sunroom with a wet bar offers views over the Manhattan skyline and Hudson River.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Practical reality could nearly ruin your plans while the intuitive Moon in your 6th House of Effort squares Venus in your 9th House of Exploration.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Everything was synced up for him Saturday, and even Nimmo couldn’t ruin that breakthrough.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinguish. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.

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