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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That second blaze burned charred 23,500 acres in that community, Malibu and elsewhere, killing 12 people and destroying or damaging more than 7,500 homes and businesses.
-
These kinds of old negatives are often stored inside cans and are so fragile they can’t be unrolled without destroying them, Seales says.
Verb
-
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
-
By quenching dryness, the formula delivers instantly glowy skin and smooths the appearance of fine lines (which are more prominent when skin is dehydrated).
-
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
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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.
-
During that 25-day closure, PennDOT crews will be demolishing the existing Commercial Street Bridge and sliding in the new bridge, which has been constructed alongside the Parkway East outside of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel.
Verb
-
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
-
Clamminess blanketing your hands.
-
The crowd spilled over to Le Bar, with its cerulean fabric swirls blanketing the ceiling, a nod to the hotel’s haute couture history.
Verb
-
The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
-
Adidas’s everyday sneakers can handle 20,000 steps without ruining an outfit, perfectly balancing cool with comfy.
Cite this Entry
“Extinguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinguishing. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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