obliterating

present participle of obliterate

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 obliterating Despite the uneasiness in Cathy’s character, the miniseries’ investment in Lee and its enormous, admirable ambition win out in the end, obliterating any of the earlier wobbles. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 More than 1,000 people are dead and nearly 4,000 missing after a Himalayan glacial collapse unleashed catastrophic floods across the Nepal-China border, obliterating roads, towns and hydropower projects. — Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 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 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 Near the speed of light, special relativity wreaks havoc on clocks and time, obliterating the concept of simultaneity among observers traveling at different speeds. — Peter Gosselin, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 The entire lighting system can be neutralized by flipping a single switch, obliterating all visibility except for a spotlight on the enemy’s crotch. — Dahlia Gallin Ramirez, New Yorker, 9 June 2026 If the 38 days of devastating air strikes that began on 28 February failed to bring Tehran to heel, what difference would obliterating a few more targets make? — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliterating
Verb
  • Community meetings focus on eradicating the homeless and protecting property values rather than supporting neighbors or providing shelter.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Back then, researchers were focused on eradicating the New World screwworm, a nasty pest that lays its eggs in wounds on living creatures.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Some Italian Americans assert that Columbus Day is at its core a celebration of our heritage, and that changing the name would be akin to erasing our history.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Treating those experiences as interchangeable risks erasing the sacrifice behind one of them.
    — Angelette C. Aviles, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Some advocate abolishing the agency, while others offer visions for how to rein it in and reform it.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Now, Xi remains in office after purging political rivals, abolishing presidential term limits and consolidating power.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • It was defined in a United Nations Convention, adopted in the wake of the Holocaust, as acts that are committed with the intention of destroying — in whole or in part — a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Can the product be restored without destroying what still works?
    — Christopher Kiggins, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Obliterating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliterating. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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