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
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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
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
Similar to the first incident, the train was pulled into the rail yard, near the 500 block of Mission Road, where LAFD crews got to work extinguishing the flames.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
The cigar ashes were traced to Hilary Brooke Inman, 38, of Marion, who faces a misdemeanor charge of starting a woodland fire and not extinguishing it, state officials said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
There was a risk of electrocution, so firefighters needed to confirm with Xcel Energy that power to the area was out before extinguishing the vehicle fire, Smith said.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2026
The building's sprinkler system put out the majority of the flames before crews finished extinguishing them.
—Raul Trey Lopez, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Mar. 2026
He is also accused of setting fire on March 2 to an electrical vault at a warehouse, with the fire eventually self-extinguishing, according to the district attorney’s office.
—City News Service, Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
In addition to extinguishing fires, the Unmanned Firefighting Robot can collect and digitize data from disaster scenes.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
Should a fire break out, the walls, seat backs, and tray tables are made with self-extinguishing polymers that won’t give off toxic fumes.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Similar to the first incident, the train was pulled into the rail yard, near the 500 block of Mission Road, where LAFD crews got to work extinguishing the flames.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
The cigar ashes were traced to Hilary Brooke Inman, 38, of Marion, who faces a misdemeanor charge of starting a woodland fire and not extinguishing it, state officials said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
There was a risk of electrocution, so firefighters needed to confirm with Xcel Energy that power to the area was out before extinguishing the vehicle fire, Smith said.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2026
The building's sprinkler system put out the majority of the flames before crews finished extinguishing them.
—Raul Trey Lopez, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Mar. 2026
He is also accused of setting fire on March 2 to an electrical vault at a warehouse, with the fire eventually self-extinguishing, according to the district attorney’s office.
—City News Service, Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
In addition to extinguishing fires, the Unmanned Firefighting Robot can collect and digitize data from disaster scenes.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
Should a fire break out, the walls, seat backs, and tray tables are made with self-extinguishing polymers that won’t give off toxic fumes.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinguishing
Verb
-
Jurors then heard sounds of banging and choking — and Athena screaming and crying, the Star-Telegram reports.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
-
How about allegedly choking a live-in chef?—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the team's binary merger model, the compact object is close enough to its stellar companion to rip off its outer hydrogen layer without completely destroying the star.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
The fires hit close to home, destroying both Pratt’s Pacific Palisades residence and his parents’ home.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Top sleep aid for kids This extremely popular sound machine uses an authentic human voice to calm babies to sleep with a calming, shushing sound.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Many family members are opposed to demolishing and/or selling the property.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
8 May 2026
-
The Preakness is taking place at Laurel Park between Baltimore and Washington this spring while its longtime home, Pimlico Race Course, is rebuilt as part of a massive construction project that included demolishing the debilitating old structure.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Activists refuse to flee despite threats, saying surrendering to fear would play into Russia’s strategy of silencing opposition both at home and abroad.—
Emma Burrows,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Demand social media accountability without silencing free speech.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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This includes blanketing the tournament venues with Leo satellite dishes, including the portable Leo Nano, the standard Leo Pro, and the Leo Ultra antenna, which was designed to deliver gigabit internet speeds.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
20 Apr. 2026
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Both spots won high praise thanks to their colorful tiles blanketing the city, as well as epic viewpoints (specifically Miradouro da Senhora do Monte for Lisbon and the Dom Luis I Bridge in Porto), which allow visitors to drink it all in from one fantastic spot.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Unchecked homelessness is ruining our cities and communities.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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Most homeowners are surprised to learn the buzzing nuisance ruining their evenings probably started life just steps from the back door.—
Ryan Brennan
April 30,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extinguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinguishing. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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