as in eradicating
to destroy all traces of
in a stroke, the March snowstorm obliterated our hopes for an early spring
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Recent Examples of obliterating
The sentiment is relatable; desire is often a catastrophic force, obliterating our best intentions for ourselves.
—
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Eventually, the ground will subside, leaving behind a crater about 1,000 feet deep and nearly 2 miles across, obliterating Oak Flat and its religious and environmental significance.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Water raged even higher this time (nearly 8 feet over the top of the spillway) and became a monster, obliterating parts of the neighborhood.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2025
After a two-hour rain delay, the game was called, obliterating it from the record books.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
That would be a 27 percent increase over the record of 11, set by the Big East in 2011 — which sounds more like obliterating the record than merely breaking it.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Rather than obliterating Israel, Gaza became the battlefield, and many innocent Gazans have paid a terrifying price for Hamas' folly.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Six blazes erupted across LA since Tuesday, obliterating neighborhoods and leaving a trail of destruction.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
This had to be some existential rebuttal to the fire obliterating the Pacific Palisades across town.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Eventually, the ground will subside, leaving behind a crater about 1,000 feet deep and nearly 2 miles across, obliterating Oak Flat and its religious and environmental significance.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Water raged even higher this time (nearly 8 feet over the top of the spillway) and became a monster, obliterating parts of the neighborhood.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2025
After a two-hour rain delay, the game was called, obliterating it from the record books.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
That would be a 27 percent increase over the record of 11, set by the Big East in 2011 — which sounds more like obliterating the record than merely breaking it.
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Rather than obliterating Israel, Gaza became the battlefield, and many innocent Gazans have paid a terrifying price for Hamas' folly.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Six blazes erupted across LA since Tuesday, obliterating neighborhoods and leaving a trail of destruction.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
This had to be some existential rebuttal to the fire obliterating the Pacific Palisades across town.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliterating
Verb
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Israel's government says the offensive is aimed at eradicating Hamas, which still holds Israeli hostages.—
Aya Batrawy,
NPR,
1 Sep. 2025
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The Shook family and its firm are active fundraisers for research and therapies aimed at eradicating breast cancer.—
Mark Tatge,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Johnson’s legacy feels particularly urgent as the National Park Service recently removed all references to transgender people from its New York Stonewall National Monument website, erasing the central role trans women of color played in the 1969 riots.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Sep. 2025
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These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The two initial quakes flattened villages in both provinces, destroying more than 6,700 homes, and rescue workers pulled bodies from the rubble on Thursday.—
Mohammad Yunus Yawar,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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As Greengrass was editing the picture, wildfires tore through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena in Southern California, killing residents and destroying homes.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Whereas opposition parties favored cutting or abolishing it, the ruling coalition of the LDP and Komeito—concerned that such a move would spook financial markets—instead offered one-time cash payments of roughly $140 per person to defray the cost of living.—
Mireya Solís,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Sep. 2025
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Where it’s offered In 2023, Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail when the state Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law abolishing it.—
Melissa Goldin,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obliterating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliterating. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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