as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the army's attack decimated the enemy's defenses beyond repair
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Recent Examples of decimating
No doubt the best-case scenario here is that the Samsung workers win…and get the right to continue manufacturing the mechanisms needed to fuel the large language models that are decimating jobs worldwide.
—
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
In the early 2000s, fishermen from other parts of Indonesia and Southeast Asia used explosives and large nets, damaging corals, decimating shark populations and forcing local residents who relied on fishing to travel as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) offshore for a catch.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
One of the more important revelations from Netanyahu’s press conference was about how the joint strikes with the United States, known as Operation Epic Fury, have been extremely effective at decimating Iran’s weapons.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Among those objectives are preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and decimating the country’s naval capabilities.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
But these relatively weak protections for hundreds of acres of identical plants have resulted in outbreaks decimating crops that people depend on.
—Lily Peck, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2026
Say goodbye to criminally high rental prices, steep mortgages, and the thought of decimating your savings with this modern, cabin-style tiny home that is ready to open its doors to you and welcome you to your dream life.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
Last week, the paper fired close to half of the staff who remained after a previous round of layoffs, gutting its local and international desks, decimating its sports and arts coverage, and eliminating Book World altogether.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
The newspaper’s sweeping layoffs account for about third the newsroom’s staff, decimating sports, local and international news coverage.
—Sara Dinatale, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
In the early 2000s, fishermen from other parts of Indonesia and Southeast Asia used explosives and large nets, damaging corals, decimating shark populations and forcing local residents who relied on fishing to travel as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) offshore for a catch.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
One of the more important revelations from Netanyahu’s press conference was about how the joint strikes with the United States, known as Operation Epic Fury, have been extremely effective at decimating Iran’s weapons.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Among those objectives are preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and decimating the country’s naval capabilities.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
But these relatively weak protections for hundreds of acres of identical plants have resulted in outbreaks decimating crops that people depend on.
—Lily Peck, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2026
Say goodbye to criminally high rental prices, steep mortgages, and the thought of decimating your savings with this modern, cabin-style tiny home that is ready to open its doors to you and welcome you to your dream life.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
Last week, the paper fired close to half of the staff who remained after a previous round of layoffs, gutting its local and international desks, decimating its sports and arts coverage, and eliminating Book World altogether.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
The newspaper’s sweeping layoffs account for about third the newsroom’s staff, decimating sports, local and international news coverage.
—Sara Dinatale, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimating
Verb
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As Miles manages to lift up Lily and get her out of there, MPKs start hurling flash-bangs, destroying the Ed Baldwin shrine and shooting a couple of protesters in the process.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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Ukrainian forces are systematically striking Russian oil refineries, pipelines, and storage facilities over 600 miles inside Russia, destroying tens of billions in infrastructure and disrupting Moscow’s war finances.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Determining how the teen died took time, and after months of additional investigation, prosecutors announced charges against D4vd that allege her murder was a premeditated attempt to keep her from ruining his music career by exposing their underage relationship.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Additionally, wet windows can accumulate condensation overnight, potentially ruining your hard work.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Those sweaters have so much mojo, as shown by Allen just demolishing what looked to be a Corona.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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And the city has further rules around demolishing older buildings, passed in late 2024.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a race for the ages, Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds on Sunday, shattering the previous men’s world record by an astonishing 65 seconds.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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The Kenyan runner won the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, shattering the previous men’s world record by 65 seconds.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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House Republicans approved the resolution last month despite conservationists’ warnings that the move would lead to devastating pollution in one of the country’s last remaining wild areas.—
Todd Richmond,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
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Two tornadoes ripped through west Michigan on April 14, devastating a family dairy farm in Fenick, releasing hundreds of cows and leaving thousands without power.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The animal begins wrecking the fields and terrorizing the people.—
Perin Gürel,
The Conversation,
22 Apr. 2026
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The tornado left a trail of damage in Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday night, wrecking an RV park, toppling power lines, leveling homes and destroying a storage facility near West 255th Street.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But as anyone who’s dropped a mug knows, ceramics are also brittle and prone to smashing.—
Caitlin Kennedy,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2026
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Police officers arrived at her Hollywood Hills home in Los Angeles and learned that the attackers had left the woman inside after allegedly smashing her jaw and choking her.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decimating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimating. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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