annihilate
verb
an·ni·hi·late
ə-ˈnī-ə-ˌlāt 
annihilated; annihilating
1
a
: to cause to cease to exist : to do away with entirely so that nothing remains
b
: to destroy a considerable part of
Bombs annihilated the city.
The enemy troops were annihilated.
c
: to defeat overwhelmingly : rout
annihilated the visitors 56–0
2
a
: to cause to be of no effect : nullify
a right to freedom that cannot be annihilated
b
: to destroy the substance or force of
Fear can annihilate one's confidence.
3
: to regard as of no consequence
4
: to cause (something, such as a particle and its antiparticle) to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (such as photons)
matter and antimatter annihilate each other
of a particle and its antiparticle
: to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (such as photons)
Examples of annihilate in a Sentence
The enemy troops were annihilated.
He annihilated his opponent in the last election.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dark matter particles scatter off one another; some get boosted into the excited state, annihilate and produce gamma rays.
—
Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
But that doesn’t mean we never get stuck in the dark corners of our pasts, tempting our regrets to rise up and annihilate us.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 May 2026
Mary is willing to be annihilated and remade.
—Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Investors were suddenly gripped with the fear that AI would annihilate software companies of every kind.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
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Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
But that doesn’t mean we never get stuck in the dark corners of our pasts, tempting our regrets to rise up and annihilate us.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 May 2026
Mary is willing to be annihilated and remade.
—Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Investors were suddenly gripped with the fear that AI would annihilate software companies of every kind.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for annihilate
Cite this Entry
“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annihilate. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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