decimate

verb

ˈde-sə-ˌmāt How to pronounce decimate (audio)
Definition of decimatenext
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of the army's attack decimated the enemy's defenses beyond repair

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 decimate In present day, back on the planet decimated by the Manhunters, John interrogates Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) and learns that Noah freed the villain from prison. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 The offensive line sort of got decimated, and now the cornerbacks have gotten decimated. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026 Russia has been targeting presses and publishing houses across Ukraine for the past month, in a campaign that’s increasingly concerned with decimating Ukrainian culture. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026 This opaqueness from earlier in the season pays off in the form of John recounting the brutal methods the Manhunter used to decimate this planet, involving a fear gas that made people kill one another and jump to their deaths. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
  1. destroy
  2. demolish
  3. ruin
  4. devastate
  5. shatter
  6. wreck
Verb
  • Noguchi, Nakashima, and Amino were adults on February 19, 1942, when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced Japanese American families to quickly abandon or destroy their property and board trains to the holding centers.
    — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Refineries in Russia have been destroyed or damaged by drone attacks.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • For one thing, Baron Haussmann had demolished swaths of the neighborhood in the mid-eighteen-hundreds to create the Place de la République.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In the 1990s, plans to demolish the deteriorating site and replace it with an underground car park sparked fierce opposition from local residents and traders, who successfully campaigned to save it.
    — Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • Artificial, though, ends with a scene that convincingly conveys the extent to which AI will ruin all our lives.
    — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Civic, before it was smashed and ruined, had been a private world, an extension of myself.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Janice was disgusted; Mary was emotionally devastated and financially ruined.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The men said learning about the latest attack left them devastated for the mother and toddler, and determined to speak out.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • However, her plans are shattered when the body of a young woman is discovered in a bog, drawing Nora into a complex murder investigation alongside the local Garda team.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The story follows the transformation of Adriana (Colin), a woman shattered by a terrible murder and who discovers the strength to start over, driven by an unquenchable thirst for justice.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • The story centers on an influencer whose life is wrecked by an online pile-on.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • If checking your score reliably wrecks your morning, the device isn’t working for you.
    — J. David Creswell, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of wreck

Browse Nearby Words

decimals
decimate
decimated
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Cite this Entry

“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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