Synonyms of obliterate

obliterate

verb

ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrāt 

as in to eradicate

to destroy all traces of

in a stroke, the March snowstorm obliterated our hopes for an early spring

Synonyms & Similar Words

• eradicate
• erase
• abolish
• destroy
• annihilate
• exterminate
• expunge
• efface
• cancel
• liquidate
• wipe out
• shatter
• demolish
• extirpate
• sweep (away)
• blot out
• kill
• clean (up)
• stamp (out)
• dismantle
• ruin
• root (out)
• devastate
• discard
• snuff (out)
• flatten
• ravage
• consume
• decimate
• rub out
• dissolve
• black out
• wreck
• fragment
• smash
• waste
• raze
• devour
• tear down
• powder
• expel
• mow (down)
• total
• eject
• finish
• terminate
• pulverize
• dash
• ditch
• blast
• kill off
• excise
• oust
• doom
• blow up
• atomize
• zap
• dynamite
• jettison
• throw out
• cut
• splinter

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• protect
• preserve
• save
• conserve
• create
• build
• make
• construct
• form
• manufacture
• shape
• forge
• restore
• fabricate
• reconstruct
• rebuild
• frame
• renew
• repair
• fix
• patch
• mend
• fashion
• renovate
• recondition
• revamp

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of obliterate

Today, for a few brief moments, some one billion people experienced partly or fully dark skies as the moon passes directly in front of our star, obliterating its light. — Claire Cameron & Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Walter’s agreement to purchase a controlling stake in the Lakers at the $10 billion valuation last summer obliterated that mark, and now Iger and Kushner have pushed the bar even higher. — Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Then, on August 6, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, obliterating nearly five square miles of the city. — James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026

Instead, the teams combined to score 19 runs, obliterating my total. — David Troy, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!