obliterate

verb

ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrāt How to pronounce obliterate (audio)
Definition of obliteratenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 obliterate Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images When most people think of AI and jobs, the conversation often pivots to which occupations are most likely to be obliterated by its arrival. — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026 The Strip had been largely obliterated in the war between Hamas and Israel, and most of its two million inhabitants were living in tents or in the ruins; images of human misery had flooded screens around the world. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 The work’s profound effect on the world that came after it…has been so far-reaching as to obliterate any possibility of seeing or hearing it afresh. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026 For instance, one of Kennedy’s first actions as health secretary last year was to obliterate an ad campaign for flu shots amid a particularly deadly flu season. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obliterate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliterate
  1. eradicate
  2. erase
  3. abolish
  4. destroy
Verb
  • Swaminarayan monks, who practice the eightfold version, see it as an important way to help eradicate all traces of desire and remain singularly focused on God.
    — Bhakti Mamtora, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Community meetings focus on eradicating the homeless and protecting property values rather than supporting neighbors or providing shelter.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of eradicate
Verb
  • By naming the product of two mergers Skydance, David Ellison relegates two of Hollywood’s founding studios to a sub-brand stew and attempts to erase a bunch of controversial hires.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • First among this unsung cohort are the women of the march, who have been all but erased from the record.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of erase
Verb
  • The vice president also blasted Nixon, who is in an uphill race to defeat Moody, for supporting defunding the police and abolishing prisons.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Coleman later joins forces with HopesAndDrums for a house mix that calls for abolishing ICE.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • Although much of the population in Java converted to Islam and Borobudur was abandoned, it was not destroyed.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Careers are destroyed, lawsuits follow, and administrators calculate their exposure.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

obliquity
obliterate
obliterated
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Cite this Entry

“Obliterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliterate. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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