EXTINGUISHING Synonyms: 192 Similar and Opposite Words

extinguishing

verb

Definition of extinguishing next

present participle of extinguish

as in choking

to cause to cease burning the fire in the skillet was quickly extinguished by slamming the lid on

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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as in shushing

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 extinguishing The clock might have struck midnight for a team of such enormous expectations and possibility, losing 83-74 in the orange haze of Moby Arena and likely extinguishing their already dwindling hopes of an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. —

Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026 Several firefighters are extinguishing a fire at a Wilmington, Delaware wastewater treatment plant. —

Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026 The captain turned the Lac La Belle back to Milwaukee, but waves came crashing over the vessel, extinguishing its boilers. —

Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026 The captain turned the Lac La Belle back toward Milwaukee but huge waves came crashing over her, extinguishing her boilers. —

Todd Richmond, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026 The ocean followed her, flooding the holes, extinguishing the heat. —

Tommy Orange, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026 Riot police still patrolled these areas on motorbikes, and the city’s fire brigade and municipal workers were out cleaning streets and extinguishing fires. —

Davood Moradian, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026 After rushing to the scene and extinguishing the blaze, investigators found home surveillance videos that showed exactly how the fire started. —

Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026 Dolly Parton is nearly too hot to handle on her 80th birthday, as the iconic singer-songwriter shared a new round of celebratory photos — including one of her extinguishing a flaming cake — after her recent health issues. —

Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinguishing

Verb

Check the tightness of your jewelry periodically (with clean hands) to prevent swallowing or choking if the jewelry becomes loose.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026
Hari was babysitting the child at the time, and told authorities that the child fell backwards while eating and began choking.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026