OBLITERATION Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

obliteration

noun

Definition of obliteration

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

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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 There was Kyle Harrison’s revenge game and Logan Webb’s first true gem of the season; the 19-run outburst and the seven-homer barrage; the walk-off losses and the 14-run obliteration; the introduction of third base coach Gary Pettis and the shocking promotion of outfielder Jonah Cox. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 8 June 2026 This was an obliteration, of a player one year his senior. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 3 June 2026 Yet despite the obliteration of scores of military targets, the regime in Tehran has proved resilient and able to strike its Gulf neighbors. — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliteration

Noun

In the end, scientists said, the destruction that follows is rarely an act of nature alone.

— Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Demand destruction is still mostly winning out over supply constraints.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

Definition of destruction

Noun

Burnham has criticized Starmer's approach to Israel's war with Hamas and the devastation of Gaza.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
Their stories recount the devastation to homes and businesses, life in temporary shelters, and the difficult process of rebuilding or relocating.

— Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

Definition of devastation

Noun

Hundreds of homes and businesses in Queens were without power Sunday after a sudden storm caused havoc across the city a day earlier, flooding major highways and leaving motorists stranded.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026
Bernthal’s biggest scenes are flashbacks to the Trojan War, as Menelaus and his army wreak bloody havoc on Troy that haunts Odysseus for many years after.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 16 July 2026

Definition of havoc

Noun

Disney's new live-action Moana recently premiered, but another significant milestone happened earlier this year with the release of Moana 2 in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaii's indigenous language that was once on the brink of extinction.

— Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
For the first time since COVID threatened theaters with extinction, Hollywood is letting out a huge sigh of relief.

— Brent Lang, Variety, 15 July 2026

Definition of extinction

Noun

The central message is the acceptance that suffering is a necessary stage in the process of love, loss and personal growth — of life itself.

— Colin Millar, New York Times, 19 July 2026
The Marlins, whose fifth straight loss matched their season high, closed the gap to 8-6 in the ninth inning thanks to Griffin Conine’s three-run homer, his seventh, off Craig Yoho.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 July 2026

Definition of loss

Noun

The indictment alleged Cacioppo sent invoices to a Rockhurst University employee for demolition and asbestos abatement work that inflated costs or billed for work that was never done.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the demolition of Palestinian villages in the area in response to the killings.

— Abeer Salman, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

Definition of demolition

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obliteration

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“Obliteration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliteration. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of obliteration

noun

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