decimate

verb

ˈde-sə-ˌmāt How to pronounce decimate (audio)
Definition of decimatenext
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of the army's attack decimated the enemy's defenses beyond repair

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decimate The Devil, a native marsupial unique to Tasmania, is under threat from Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) which is decimating numbers throughout Tasmania. — John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 The deadliest animal to have ever roamed the earth is not the great white shark, or snakes, or even rats that caused three great plagues in history, decimating the human population at the time. — New Atlas, 26 July 2026 Our winter recreation industry is being decimated and our summer outdoor recreation curbed by dangerous air quality index reports. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 25 July 2026 Maggie Greene was introduced in The Walking Dead season 2 as an open-hearted survivor who was just beginning to grapple with the barbaric nature of her new reality after the Wildfire virus decimates humanity. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
  1. destroy
  2. devastate
  3. ruin
  4. demolish
  5. shatter
  6. wreck
  7. smash
Verb
  • Spider-Man teams up with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher to take down the green giant and stop the him from destroying the Damage Control skyscraper entirely.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • An official for Green Diamond Resources similarly said her company has no intention of destroying the bird’s habitat.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • Le Porge, a commune to the west of Bordeaux with 3,500 residents, has been devastated.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
  • Tasmanian devils suffer from Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a highly fatal cancer spread by biting, which has devastated their population and surprisingly arose twice.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • Being asked to prove yourself to AI can play havoc on your confidence and ruin your chances of getting your foot in the door.
    — Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Western Newspaper Union Building Plans filed with the city show that the project would include demolishing and replacing an existing building on the site.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • The Rike Concert Hall in Tbilisi, Georgia, is set to be demolished.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 21 July 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • Twenty-nine single-family homes sold for $30 million or more in Miami-Dade in 2025, shattering the previous record of 15 homes in 2024.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Oil prices — which had eased from last week’s the two-month high — rebounded as a brief pause in fighting in the Iran war was shattered.
    — Yuri Kageyama, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • Elsewhere, La’An continues her investigation via Harper’s personal video log, an effort that takes a disturbing turn when Harper addresses her directly while Kirk sees that their shuttle has been wrecked.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 July 2026
  • Etna’s country prevails but is demolished in the process; its people and animals are left wrecked, hungry, and homeless.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of wreck
Verb
  • To test the theory, the world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, would smash hundreds of billions of protons together at nearly the speed of light.
    — Lisa Song, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • Joc Pederson smashed a lead-off home run for the sixth time this season, then hit another homer in the second inning to power the Texas Rangers past the Seattle Mariners 7-3 Monday afternoon at Globe Life Field.
    — Cal Phillips Updated July 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026
Definition of smash

Browse Nearby Words

decimals
decimate
decimated
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on decimate

Nglish: Translation of decimate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All