as in eradicating
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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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
-
In July, after FilmLA’s contract was renewed for five more years despite opposition from some local public advocates, a host of measures aimed at streamlining and eradicating bureaucratic hurdles in the film permitting process was approved.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Childhood vaccinations are widely considered effective and safe—eradicating illnesses that once claimed kids’ lives, such as mumps and polio.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Failing to seize the narrative, the authorities shifted course and began erasing the record from public memory.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
-
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,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Since then, the Internet has gone about its immemorial business of destroying all incumbent forms of media; not content with vampirizing print, the digital space began sucking the life from pay-TV a dozen years ago.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Critics say returning the company without meaningful payment undercuts accountability and the compensatory purpose of the judgments; others note trustees and Judge Lopez have to avoid value-destroying, prolonged processes.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The European Parliament has twice called for Yahaya’s release, asking Nigeria to set an example by abolishing the blasphemy laws under which he has been detained for over five years.—
Sean Nelson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Both Biss and Abughazaleh support abolishing ICE, and the winner of their primary will be heavily favored to hold a seat whose voters backed Kamala Harris by 37 points last year.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obliterating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliterating. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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