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
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Recent Examples of decimate
On the campaign trail, Trump threatened to increase the levies on Chinese goods to as high as 60%, a level that Bloomberg Economics predicts would decimate trade between the world’s two biggest economies.
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Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2024
Pogroms and slavery, the Holocaust and the Red Summer that found Tulsa’s black community decimated, are reflected in familiar, still-wrenching photos and newsreel footage.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
The Pelicans are going through an unprecedented stretch of bad injury luck that’s left the roster decimated the past few weeks.
—Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
In his first administration, Trump temporarily decimated the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management by relocating its Washington headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decimate 
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2024
Pogroms and slavery, the Holocaust and the Red Summer that found Tulsa’s black community decimated, are reflected in familiar, still-wrenching photos and newsreel footage.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
The Pelicans are going through an unprecedented stretch of bad injury luck that’s left the roster decimated the past few weeks.
—Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024
In his first administration, Trump temporarily decimated the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management by relocating its Washington headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
Verb
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Double talk takes many forms, all of which damage or destroy trust: Spin: Every organization and, to an extent, every individual engages in public relations.Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
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One standout: the Healthy Beauty Award–winning Braun Skin i-expert IPL, a laser hair removal tool that uses light to heat and destroy hair follicles at the root.Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Usman won the rematch in April 2021 by devastating one-punch KO.Brian Mazique, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
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After deadly wildfires devastated Maui, Hawaii state lawmakers also allocated funds to the University of Hawaii to map statewide wildfire risks and improve forecasting technologies.Bret Baier, Fox News, 30 Nov. 2024
Verb
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This increases the risk of electrical shocks, fire, and short circuits, which can ruin your holidays.Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
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Over time, this can take away a company's competitive edge or even ruin its reputation with future talent.Subha Barry, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Once, in a stadium since demolished, the Orioles won three world championships; the Baltimore Colts did the same.Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 13 Dec. 2024
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Subsequently demolished and rebuilt by Simo Design and Fischer Construction, the sleek wood and stone structure ultimately sold to Bay-Schuck in late 2019 for $11 million.Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The star, who suffered a horrific snowplow accident on New Year’s Day nearly two years ago that shattered 38 bones, discussed his career and more in a wide-ranging on-stage appearance at Culture Square in the second-largest Saudi city’s old town Al-Balad.Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
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The numbers exploded from the jump and never relented, with world records shattering one after the other.Josh Condon, Robb Report, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group most immediately responsible for Assad’s overthrow, has announced that victory is not a license to wreck the institutions of the state, nor to initiate a wave of retribution against Alawites in general.Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
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This couldn’t be further from the truth—especially the part about Trump’s corruption and self-dealing being no different from the norm—but Biden is doing the work of people who want to wreck the best aspects of America’s democratic ethos.Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The burglar smashed the Plexiglass case that held the slippers and absconded with them.Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2024
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Amid six minutes of bidding the watch soared to its final price of $840,000, totally smashing its $60,000 high estimate.Anthony DeMarco, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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