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 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 And then Conine, who had the walk-off hit for the Marlins on Monday, obliterated a middle-middle changeup from Phillies reliever Jonathan Bowlan for a 424-foot home run. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026 But, Congressman, the president, Pete Hegseth, had said they were obliterated, decimated. — ABC News, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for obliterate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliterate
  1. eradicate
  2. erase
  3. abolish
  4. destroy
Verb
  • Tlaib is also a prominent critic of Israel; her rhetoric has been chastised by Jewish colleagues as an antisemitic call for eradicating Jews, a charge the congresswoman and her supporters reject.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980 and no longer naturally circulates, was once one of the world's deadliest diseases.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of eradicate
Verb
  • The Cubs offense quickly erased the 1-0 deficit behind four consecutive hitters reaching with two outs in the top of the second.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Reading scores of New York City public school students plummeted this past school year, erasing improvements in the subject recorded a year before, sparking calls from the teachers’ union for a change in approach.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of erase
Verb
  • Some members sought to amend the resolution to call for reforming ICE rather than abolishing it.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Hong branded herself as a fighter for the working class, advocated for universal childcare and called to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
    — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • Vendors said enforcement sweeps that began earlier this year have threatened their livelihoods, with authorities confiscating vending equipment and, in some cases, destroying it.
    — Da Lin, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • One of those, the USS Gerald R Ford, also reported problems earlier this year, from toilets that weren’t working to a laundry fire that briefly stopped combat operations and destroyed some sleeping quarters.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroy

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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 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on obliterate

Nglish: Translation of obliterate for Spanish Speakers

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