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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exterminate
This early generation of Soviet spies was mostly exterminated during Stalin’s purges of the 1930s.
—
Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
In the human body, for example, phages typically don’t exterminate their host bacteria.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Leering over his shoulder at every stage is his manipulative wife, Ylfa (Toni Collette), who encourages his worst instincts — like the assumption that Creepers are a threat and must therefore be exterminated — while indulging her obsession with sauces.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025
All of Yosemite was on the backs of people who were exterminated.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exterminate
Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
In the human body, for example, phages typically don’t exterminate their host bacteria.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Leering over his shoulder at every stage is his manipulative wife, Ylfa (Toni Collette), who encourages his worst instincts — like the assumption that Creepers are a threat and must therefore be exterminated — while indulging her obsession with sauces.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025
All of Yosemite was on the backs of people who were exterminated.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exterminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exterminate
Verb
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Princess Eugenie is also the founder of The Anti-Slavery Collective, which endeavors to eradicate modern slavery, and helped establish Key to Freedom, a social enterprise initiative facilitating a route to market for products made by survivors of trafficking at Women’s Interlink Foundation.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
22 May 2025
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Yeast overgrowth can often be eradicated with one dose of an oral tablet called fluconazole (Diflucan).—
Cheyenne Buckingham,
SELF,
13 May 2025
Verb
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So, this should lower those percentage gaps in time, if not erase them.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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The voices and contributions of women and people of color were overlooked and erased through much of America’s military history.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Verb
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Currently 20 states have passed laws that would abolish clock changes if they are given permission to do so by the federal government.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
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Athletic Bilbao’s Estadio de San Mamés was full of tears of joy from Tottenham fans clad in white and players alike at the full-time whistle as the team abolished the reputation for not finishing big matches.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Exterminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exterminate. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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