1
as in eradicating
to destroy all traces of
the family's attempts to annihilate the roach population in their apartment had met with little success
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the tornado simply annihilated the family's home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in overcoming
to defeat by a large margin
we didn't just win; we absolutely annihilated them!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of annihilating
Usually these particles almost immediately disappear again by annihilating each other—but not this time.
—
Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
As the Universe expands and cools, the cross-section drops, and eventually, dark matter stops annihilating away or interacting with anything else in any appreciable way.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Everything there fell apart and perished, as though the steppe were a field of deadly frequency, annihilating, on a molecular level, any object that happened into it.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
Indiana’s defense is masterful, a plug-and-play roster that is annihilating opponents without its leading tackler.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The ruthless annihilating self-criticism silenced by looking into your big brown eyes, a mirror and a time machine.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Oh, and stopping the Soviets from annihilating the world.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
As a result, Israel preserved its existence without annihilating vast opposition forces.
—Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2025
Sense-annihilating dreck has become a generational identity that these kids can claim as their own.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 10 Sep. 2025
Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
As the Universe expands and cools, the cross-section drops, and eventually, dark matter stops annihilating away or interacting with anything else in any appreciable way.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Everything there fell apart and perished, as though the steppe were a field of deadly frequency, annihilating, on a molecular level, any object that happened into it.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
Indiana’s defense is masterful, a plug-and-play roster that is annihilating opponents without its leading tackler.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The ruthless annihilating self-criticism silenced by looking into your big brown eyes, a mirror and a time machine.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Oh, and stopping the Soviets from annihilating the world.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
As a result, Israel preserved its existence without annihilating vast opposition forces.
—Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2025
Sense-annihilating dreck has become a generational identity that these kids can claim as their own.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilating
Verb
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While the president’s focus seems to be on eradicating African Americans and our contributions from America and its culture, his hate campaign doesn’t stop with African Americans.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The agency was finding and eradicating cannabis grows in national forests effectively.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But when the other side is destroying it, there are worse things to be than the alternative.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The European Union is moving forward with its ban on destroying unsold clothing, footwear and accessories.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jones said her journey to reach this point has been defined by overcoming adversity and a devotion to family.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Medical experts and public health leaders say overcoming hesitancy is key in preventing further spread in and around Charlotte, and preventing the rise of other infectious diseases.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That has led, in part, to some talk of a salary cap and a potential lockout perhaps erasing the entire 2027 season.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The village is demolishing homes to make way for the redevelopment and will relocate residents elsewhere on campus, Timberlake said.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The project calls for demolishing a 1949 single-family home and building a 2,500-square-foot contemporary building to be used as a Jewish ritual pool for women for spiritual purification.—
Lauren Costantino
February 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And they are not remotely prepared when Harper’s firm puts its full weight behind burying them.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Kabir joined in burying several of his close friends in Woro.—
Pelumi Salako,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Success will be measured by progress toward abolishing property taxes, restoring public trust, improving infrastructure reliability, reducing corruption, and overall approval from the people of Texas.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Authoritarian states have learned to insulate themselves from diaspora pressure while simultaneously using emigration as a safety valve, turning potential dissidents into remittance-senders – as Cuba did by abolishing exit visas in 2013.—
Michael Paarlberg,
The Conversation,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The mist dissipates around a room instead of spewing out like a wet stream, which keeps Alpert worry-free about ruining her wooden bed frame.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
6 Feb. 2026
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In fact, for some items, a standard cold wash can be ruining.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Annihilating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilating. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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