as in to pry
to draw out by force or with effort uprooted the old bridge's pilings upon the completion of its replacement

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb uproot differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of uproot are eradicate, exterminate, and extirpate. While all these words mean "to effect the destruction or abolition of something," uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

the war uprooted thousands

In what contexts can eradicate take the place of uproot?

While in some cases nearly identical to uproot, eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

When is it sensible to use exterminate instead of uproot?

The words exterminate and uproot can be used in similar contexts, but exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

exterminate cockroaches

When would extirpate be a good substitute for uproot?

The synonyms extirpate and uproot are sometimes interchangeable, but extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

many species have been extirpated from the area

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 uproot Trees were uprooted and tree branches were torn down, some of which landed on cars and roofs. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2025 Read more Colorado Democrats’ bid to launch TABOR lawsuit clears first committee Democrats’ latest attempt to uproot a state constitutional amendment that severely limits officials’ spending authority narrowly passed its first committee vote Monday night. The Denver Post, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2025 But none of the opportunities seemed worth uprooting his whole family for. Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2025 What's next: Goldman's note predates Trump's sweeping new tariffs issued Wednesday, which stand to uproot the global economic order in unpredictable and chaotic ways. Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uproot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uproot
Verb
  • Brands began to pull together resources to support refugees.
    Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
  • The 13-minute performance will likely call for a healthy dose of vibrant, colored lighting to pull it all together.
    Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • Soon thereafter, starving, Cage yanks the dead rat from the ground and holds it to his teeth, about to take a bite.
    Rachel Handler, Vulture, 2 May 2025
  • Donald Trump is yanking federal funds from public media.
    E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • That hidden data is then extracted at its destination.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • Once the virus has grown in the cell, scientists extract it for the vaccine.
    Jenna Anderson, Health, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • To a visitor’s eye, the light switch is nowhere to be found—that is, until a tintype photograph is plucked from a ledge near the front door to reveal a white plastic switch plate.
    Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2025
  • More than 260 Southern California steelhead trout were plucked from their stream in the Palisades fire burn scar and moved to a different area, saving them from lethal debris flows.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Uproot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uproot. Accessed 8 May. 2025.

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