1
as in choking
to cause to cease burning
the fire in the skillet was quickly extinguished by slamming the lid on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
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 shushing
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
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Recent Examples of extinguishing
The next phase of operations will focus on accessing and extinguishing remaining fire within more interior areas of the building.
—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Authorities cautioned that extinguishing the fire could take days or even weeks.
—
Iris Salem,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
On June 17, after extinguishing the blaze, police entered the home but didn’t find Sanchez-Muñoz.
—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Alongside long-standing fire deficits, which resulted from the practice of quickly extinguishing fires rather than allowing low-level fires to burn away forest debris, these factors have escalated the potential for large fires in the West.
—
Mukesh Kumar,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
Firefighters then shifted to mop-up operations, extinguishing hotspots within the containment lines.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2026
The ensuing 11 pitches were all strikes to end the game, extinguishing the Dodgers’ hope and showing again how the Padres are doing this.
—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
19 May 2026
This year, participants took part in training courses focused on search and rescue, removing victims from under a subway car, extinguishing a propane fire, entering a burning building and more.
—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Such reins on an industry that has billed itself as capable of extinguishing humankind are, theoretically, in everyone’s interest.
—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Authorities cautioned that extinguishing the fire could take days or even weeks.
—
Iris Salem,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
On June 17, after extinguishing the blaze, police entered the home but didn’t find Sanchez-Muñoz.
—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Alongside long-standing fire deficits, which resulted from the practice of quickly extinguishing fires rather than allowing low-level fires to burn away forest debris, these factors have escalated the potential for large fires in the West.
—
Mukesh Kumar,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
Firefighters then shifted to mop-up operations, extinguishing hotspots within the containment lines.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2026
The ensuing 11 pitches were all strikes to end the game, extinguishing the Dodgers’ hope and showing again how the Padres are doing this.
—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
19 May 2026
This year, participants took part in training courses focused on search and rescue, removing victims from under a subway car, extinguishing a propane fire, entering a burning building and more.
—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Such reins on an industry that has billed itself as capable of extinguishing humankind are, theoretically, in everyone’s interest.
—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinguishing
Verb
-
According to the criminal complaint, the boy told police Diggs began choking him before dragging him into the nearby alley.
-
Officer Nicholas Samartino of the Woodbridge Police Department responded to a report that a 5-day-old infant was choking and experiencing difficulty breathing back in May, according to police.
Verb
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Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
-
But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
Verb
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Trae Young won Madison Square Garden’s undying enmity in the 2021 playoffs for the Atlanta Hawks, punctuating game-breaking shots by shushing the crowd or bowing to the fans and waving goodbye.
-
Wine country with kids in tow doesn’t have to mean a stressful afternoon of shushing and screen time.
Verb
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By quenching dryness, the formula delivers instantly glowy skin and smooths the appearance of fine lines (which are more prominent when skin is dehydrated).
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In particular, this energy could push away gas and dust that serves as the raw material for star formation, thus quenching star birth in galaxies.
Verb
-
Digital Realty already began demolishing the inside of the building, so Gray believed the agreement was set.
-
But everyday people expressed their political outrage time and again, throwing rocks at and demolishing the houses of government officials, torching the king’s ships and forts and, eventually, marching to battle.
Verb
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That protein keeps the seals between your gut cells closed by silencing the genes that would otherwise loosen them.
-
Psychologists call the underlying habit self-silencing.
Verb
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Also, science reporter Denise Chow talks about the extreme heat blanketing the nation just in time for its 250th birthday.
-
That’s because of a heat dome that is blanketing the region, sending the temperature and humidity soaring.
Verb
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After all, plenty of cocktail enthusiasts already complain about mosquitoes ruining a summer evening.
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The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
Cite this Entry
“Extinguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinguishing. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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