as in destroys
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 decimates
This move effectively decimates the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which has conducted federal funds to NPR and PBS for nearly 60 years.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimates
Verb
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Producing traditional paper destroys trees and is resource-intensive, requiring up to 13 liters of water for every page made.—
Sandy Ong,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
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In those situations, the team typically takes the potentially explosive item to a remote area and destroys it, just to be safe, Putthoff said.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Deadly flooding devastates South Asia Almost 400 people have died in Pakistan after flash floods brought destruction throughout the country’s north.—
Semafor Staff,
semafor.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Illness devastates the novel’s humble, endearing protagonist, who bravely crosses class boundaries in her enthralling search for peace.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The shift change shatters my sleep like a robin’s egg crashing against pavement.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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Most sitcoms that cast celebrities to play themselves go the Thompson route, crafting a character that completely shatters the person’s public image.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When that happens, 67% of teens say their malfunctioning laptop ruins their entire day.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
11 Sep. 2025
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One mistake often ruins an entire load, sending recyclables straight to landfills.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The trend isn’t one-sided either, as clips have surfaced of brides being the ones to start the frosting fight, like in this TikTok video where a bride smashes a piece of cake on her groom’s face.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
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In the United Kingdom, as fans wait for something new from the global pop star, one of her earlier career smashes returns to the top 40 and becomes a bestseller again.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decimates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimates. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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