extirpate
verb
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Dig Out the History of Extirpate
You don’t have to dig too deep into the history of extirpate to discover that its roots are in, well, roots (and stumps). Extirpate grew out of a combining of the Latin prefix ex-, meaning “out,” and the Latin noun stirps, “trunk” or “root.” Among the earliest definitions of extirpate in English were “to uproot” and “to clear of stumps,” as well as the broader meaning of “to destroy completely” or “wipe out.” While today we often encounter extirpate in relation to plant and animal species that have been regrettably removed from a specific region or in total, intangibles such as evil or prejudice, for example, may also be extirpated. We hope this helps but if you find yourself stumped the next time you encounter extirpate, just remember we’re rooting for you.
Examples of extirpate in a Sentence
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
11 June 2026
Over the next several decades, a roll call of Pennsylvania’s native animals would be extirpated, including mountain lions, wolves, wolverines, badgers, pine marten, and fisher cats; whitetail deer were nearly wiped out of the state, as were black bears and turkeys.
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Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Over a century earlier sea otters, another key urchin predator, were extirpated by the fur trade, leaving the system precariously reliant on sea stars alone.
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Tatjana Baleta,
Time,
28 May 2026
The bears were extirpated, or intentionally eliminated from an area, decades ago.
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Eva Flowe
may 20,
Charlotte Observer,
20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for extirpate
Cite this Entry
“Extirpate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extirpate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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extirpate
verb
