as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the ill-advised obliteration of the town's historic district in order to make way for a shopping center
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 obliteration
Visitors are stunned seeing the rampant, deliberate obliteration of the character of Hillcrest.
—
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The Butlerian Jihad ultimately resulted in the obliteration of all thinking machines, as well as a wholesale ban on any new robotic creations.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that with the near-complete obliteration of the Iranian military, the next phase of the war is to destroy Iran’s arms manufacturing supply chain.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 14 Mar. 2026
The dangerous joy, the glee and courage, the humor in the face of fate, the wild ramble of a life driven towards the artistic heavens and the daily balm of self obliteration.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
But if the obliteration lasted only half a year, what value is there in re-obliterating it?
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
This is well-observed, though the obliteration of the frothiest market themes from their early 2021 peak was far more damaging than anything seen so far this month.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2025
The obliteration of both Iran’s nuclear facilities and the foreign terrorist cartels traversing the Gulf of America are clear evidence of the president's success.
—Brian Mast, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Consider how his statement complicates everything we’ve been told to believe about the obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago.
—Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The Butlerian Jihad ultimately resulted in the obliteration of all thinking machines, as well as a wholesale ban on any new robotic creations.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that with the near-complete obliteration of the Iranian military, the next phase of the war is to destroy Iran’s arms manufacturing supply chain.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 14 Mar. 2026
The dangerous joy, the glee and courage, the humor in the face of fate, the wild ramble of a life driven towards the artistic heavens and the daily balm of self obliteration.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 Mar. 2026
But if the obliteration lasted only half a year, what value is there in re-obliterating it?
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
This is well-observed, though the obliteration of the frothiest market themes from their early 2021 peak was far more damaging than anything seen so far this month.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2025
The obliteration of both Iran’s nuclear facilities and the foreign terrorist cartels traversing the Gulf of America are clear evidence of the president's success.
—Brian Mast, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Consider how his statement complicates everything we’ve been told to believe about the obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago.
—Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliteration
Noun
-
The fighting has carved a path of destruction from agricultural towns near the border to Beirut, killing more than 2,000 people and displacing in excess of 1 million others, according to Lebanese authorities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Washington wanted to test if the Iranian command, after seeing the destruction from six weeks of war and the killing of its Supreme Leader, would now bend to its will, experts said.—
Saeed Shah,
Time,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But through this devastation came a discovery.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
But if the technology went rogue, or fell into the wrong hands, the devastation could be total.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The aim is for Abdul to cause havoc in the United States, the West Bank and Iran.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In the twentieth century, the same storms that made headlines in New York wreaked quieter havoc across the river.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
California lawmakers on Tuesday moved forward on a bill that could lead to the re-introduction of grizzly bears to the state, more than a century after the quarter-ton predators were hunted into local extinction.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Tony told us how large trawlers would go out farther into the water and catch more than locals did, gradually shrinking the cod population to near extinction.—
Akash Kapur,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Schlapp said there's an easy explanation for Orbán's loss.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The loss against Nashville dropped Charlotte to fifth in the Eastern Conference, a goal behind NYC FC for fourth place with a chance to leapfrog them on Saturday.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The demolition of a century of history in McKeesport began on Monday, as crews started tearing down the site of the old Penn-McKee Hotel.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
According to Swire Properties, the demolition will make way for the groundbreaking of the Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a two-tower ultraluxury hotel and residential development scheduled for completion in 2030.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obliteration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliteration. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
