1
as in inferno
a destructive burning
the holocaust caused by the ignited chemicals completely destroyed the factory and several surrounding homes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in massacre
the killing of a large number of people
as many as 2,000,000 people may have perished in the holocaust perpetrated by Cambodia's Khmer Rouge
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Recent Examples of holocaust
Hours earlier, two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah by the Sea celebration near Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, killing at least 16 people including a rabbi and a holocaust survivor.
—
Hannah Ruhoff, Sacbee.com, 15 Dec. 2025
But the graphic visions of nuclear holocaust in those films conjured no more dread than the explosion of the Death Star.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
In his director’s statement, the filmmaker reveals that the historical drama mines from his own family’s trauma, linking the effects that both the holocaust and the rise in communism in Hungary had on him and his loved ones.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2025
In the holocaust of the South Bronx, lighting a match could seem like just hastening the inevitable.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holocaust
Hannah Ruhoff, Sacbee.com, 15 Dec. 2025
But the graphic visions of nuclear holocaust in those films conjured no more dread than the explosion of the Death Star.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
In his director’s statement, the filmmaker reveals that the historical drama mines from his own family’s trauma, linking the effects that both the holocaust and the rise in communism in Hungary had on him and his loved ones.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2025
In the holocaust of the South Bronx, lighting a match could seem like just hastening the inevitable.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holocaust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holocaust
Noun
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The inferno destroyed most of the town of Paradise in Northern California and killed 85 people.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Like a blazing inferno, the riot spreads swiftly and suddenly.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In 1996, former President Chun Doo-hwan, an army major general, was convicted for seizing power in a 1979 military coup and presiding over the 1980 Gwangju massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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The performance and video series addresses femicide killings of trans and gay people in South Africa as well as the Herero and Nama massacre conducted by German colonial forces in the 1900s in what is now Namibia.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Carvalho discussed the event’s main goal, to mark a year since the beginning of recovery from the Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires in January of 2025.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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While a celebratory mood spreads across the country, survivors of a deadly fire in Hong Kong are still grieving with little to celebrate, like this man who lost his wife in the blaze.—
CNN staff,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Being trained in combat, and armed with swords, spears, and bows and arrows, the gladiators were able to turn the tables on the wild beasts; the result was another predictable slaughter, in this case of the animals.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
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The new facility aims to increase slaughter numbers to 22,000 hogs a day while maintaining a comparable workforce of 3,200 employees.—
Angela George,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Holocaust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holocaust. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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