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
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Recent Examples of decimate
Raging water decimates downtown Chimney Rock, a tourist village, heading to Lake Lure, a resort town.
—
Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 19 May 2025
Many of those interviewed said a generation of scientists — and the innovations their research would bring — could be decimated.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 8 May 2025
Crews continued to douse water onto Louisiana's Nottoway Plantation on Friday morning, May 16, after a devastating fire decimated the historic mansion.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Uncertainty from President Donald Trump's tariff policies decimated the stock market's performance to start the year.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 19 May 2025
Many of those interviewed said a generation of scientists — and the innovations their research would bring — could be decimated.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 8 May 2025
Crews continued to douse water onto Louisiana's Nottoway Plantation on Friday morning, May 16, after a devastating fire decimated the historic mansion.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Uncertainty from President Donald Trump's tariff policies decimated the stock market's performance to start the year.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
Verb
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During the week of my embed, the Russian military identified and destroyed a few of the Vampire pilots’ positions.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2025
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea from a group of Native American activists and supporters to block a copper mining company from destroying an Apache religious site.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Sand, breeze blocks, storm shutters—these are materials of survival and exclusion, shaped by the hurricanes that regularly devastate her homeland.—
Nargess Banks,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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The Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions Friday in a big first step toward fulfilling the president’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country devastated by civil war.—
Abby Sewell,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Verb
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But Foxx lamented how the producer ruined his legacy after being arrested in Manhattan last September following a grand jury indictment.—
Mekishana Pierre Published,
EW.com,
3 June 2025
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There were missions that felt like a rally racing mini-game, asking me to navigate between timer-extending rings dotting barren desert ruins.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Facing greater competition and sensing more opportunity, the owners decided to close the hotel at the end of May and demolish the building next year.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2025
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Its current office building in the area would be demolished.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Whatever credibility the report might have had as a product of a federal agency was shattered by its obvious errors, misrepresentations and outright fabrications of source materials, some of it plainly the product of the authors’ reliance on AI bots.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
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In 1985, Michael Jordan shattered a backboard during a dunk in a summer exhibition game against the Italian team Stefanel Trieste.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
2 June 2025
Verb
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During testimony, Lance Jimenez of the Los Angeles Fire Department recalled a 2012 incident in which an explosion wrecked a Porsche owned by Scott Mescudi, professionally known as Kid Cudi.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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Walls were wrecked by artillery blasts and gunfire.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
27 May 2025
Verb
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He’s often found smashing things in the name of justice but can still be angered easily if things don’t go his way.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
30 May 2025
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That served as a prelude to Tim Anderson smashing his own two-run shot off Zack Britton in the bottom of the inning to send the White Sox home winners.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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