Synonyms of exterminate

exterminate

verb

ik-ˈstər-mə-ˌnāt 

as in to eradicate

to destroy all traces of

hope that the fumigant exterminates the whole colony of cockroaches, for any survivors may be resistant to any poison

Synonyms & Similar Words

• eradicate
• erase
• abolish
• destroy
• obliterate
• annihilate
• expunge
• liquidate
• extirpate
• efface
• wipe out
• cancel
• sweep (away)
• demolish
• kill
• stamp (out)
• clean (up)
• blot out
• shatter
• dismantle
• root (out)
• ruin
• devastate
• snuff (out)
• consume
• discard
• decimate
• ravage
• rub out
• black out
• flatten
• fragment
• devour
• expel
• tear down
• wreck
• dissolve
• waste
• smash
• raze
• mow (down)
• powder
• eject
• terminate
• total
• finish
• oust
• dash
• ditch
• kill off
• pulverize
• atomize
• blow up
• doom
• excise
• blast
• zap
• dynamite
• splinter
• jettison
• throw out
• cut

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• protect
• preserve
• save
• conserve
• create
• build
• make
• construct
• manufacture
• form
• shape
• fabricate
• restore
• forge
• frame
• reconstruct
• rebuild
• repair
• fix
• renew
• patch
• mend
• fashion
• renovate
• recondition
• revamp

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb exterminate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of exterminate are eradicate, extirpate, and uproot. While all these words mean "to effect the destruction or abolition of something," exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

exterminate cockroaches

When is eradicate a more appropriate choice than exterminate?

The meanings of eradicate and exterminate largely overlap; however, eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

When is it sensible to use extirpate instead of exterminate?

The words extirpate and exterminate can be used in similar contexts, but extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

many species have been extirpated from the area

When might uproot be a better fit than exterminate?

In some situations, the words uproot and exterminate are roughly equivalent. However, uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

the war uprooted thousands

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of exterminate

The cost to exterminate termites can vary depending on several factors, including the size of the infestation, the type of termites, the treatment method used, and the size of the property. —Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 17 Sep. 2024

Five years later—and after four nests were successfully destroyed—officials have declared a rare victory against the murder hornets for having exterminated them from United States soil. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024

The program has received backing from animal rights groups including PETA, who refer to it as a more humane solution than outright seeking to exterminate New York's entire rodent population. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024

The idea of the government and scientists saving us from giant insects no longer resonated with an audience growing increasingly aware of the larger perils of trying to exterminate them. —Salama Udaipurwala, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024

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