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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Book bans are targeting trans authors in conservative states, eradicating their work from curricula and library circulation.—
Grace Byron,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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Yet minimizing and possibly even eradicating infectious diseases is a collective act that requires nearly everyone to play their part.—
Simon Williams,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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,
13 Sep. 2025
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The brand’s eye-specific product packs a punch courtesy of antioxidants, fine line–erasing peptides, and Persian silk tree extract (the latter is both a preventative and curative measure against dark circles and puffiness).—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The military has also been targeting and destroying high-rise buildings surrounding displacement camps, crowding Gaza City’s residents into ever-smaller spaces.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Ultimately, North was found guilty of destroying official documents, accepting a home security system as a gift and obstructing Congress in 1989.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, support for abolishing the Monarchy has risen from 3 percent to 15 percent during that time.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Obliterating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliterating. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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