extinguish

verb

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish How to pronounce extinguish (audio)
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Elsewhere, emergency workers extinguished a fire in a non-residential building in the capital’s Shevchenkivskyi district. — ABC News, 31 July 2026 Fire crews extinguished the flames and found one person dead inside. — Cbs Texas Staff, CBS News, 31 July 2026 The fire was extinguished, and crews assisted with overhaul operations and removed affected equipment. — Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026 Emergency crews are still scrambling to contain ferocious blazes in Spain and France, where authorities have warned wildfires could burn for several months before they are fully extinguished. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for extinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinguish
  1. choke
  2. destroy
  3. shush
  4. quench
  5. demolish
  6. silence
  7. blanket
  8. ruin
Verb
  • Today, however, several armed groups allied with Tehran are back to pressuring Iran’s foes by opening new fronts that complicate the war and threaten to choke the global economy.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The important thing to know is that these techniques should only be used if your pet is truly choking – not simply coughing or gagging – and your pet should still be seen by a veterinarian afterward, even if the object is removed.
    — Cathy M. Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of choke
Verb
  • Spider-Man teams up with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher to take down the green giant and stop the him from destroying the Damage Control skyscraper entirely.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • An official for Green Diamond Resources similarly said her company has no intention of destroying the bird’s habitat.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • His interactions with Daemon (Matt Smith) last season, going so far as to shush him at one point, were a breath of fresh air.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • As the moment unfolded, Savannah shushed the future king and even briefly placed her hand over his mouth in an effort to keep him composed.
    — Staff Author, InStyle, 13 June 2026
Definition of shush
Verb
  • In all the time since, the water flowed through that line under the many incarnations of the Sunset Strip, feeding smaller pipes that quenched a growing metropolis that expanded from about 500,000 people to 4 million.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
  • The rainfall in southern Virginia and North Carolina is needed to help quench drought conditions there, but too much rain repeating over the same areas over hours or days could quickly trigger dangerous flash flooding.
    — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Definition of quench
Verb
  • Western Newspaper Union Building Plans filed with the city show that the project would include demolishing and replacing an existing building on the site.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • The Rike Concert Hall in Tbilisi, Georgia, is set to be demolished.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 21 July 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • Morgan silenced the critics and played into her heel persona—one that wants to hold the title for 1,000 days—with a strong victory over Iyo Sky.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • When the team silenced these neurons, the flies got lost entirely, wandering upwind with no idea how to get back.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of silence
Verb
  • Nearly every night of the standoff had ended with police blanketing the neighborhood with tear gas.
    — Sydney Brownstone, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Allen was blanketed in coverage, a linebacker in front of him and a safety charging from behind.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of blanket
Verb
  • Being asked to prove yourself to AI can play havoc on your confidence and ruin your chances of getting your foot in the door.
    — Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Definition of ruin

Browse Nearby Words

extinctions
extinguish
extinguishable
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Cite this Entry

“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinguish. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of extinguish for Spanish Speakers

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