decimating

present participle of decimate
as in destroying
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 decimating Isn’t this boycott and those fears decimating Israeli cinema? Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 June 2026 Business Insider In Phoenix, the country’s call-center capital, AI is decimating working-class careers. Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 1 June 2026 The Mets lost Ronny Mauricio to a fractured thumb in Anaheim, decimating the once-robust infield depth. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 May 2026 Other aims the administration has stated include destroying Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, decimating its navy and stopping its support for regional militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 6 May 2026 No doubt the best-case scenario here is that the Samsung workers win…and get the right to continue manufacturing the mechanisms needed to fuel the large language models that are decimating jobs worldwide. Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026 In the early 2000s, fishermen from other parts of Indonesia and Southeast Asia used explosives and large nets, damaging corals, decimating shark populations and forcing local residents who relied on fishing to travel as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) offshore for a catch. ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026 One of the more important revelations from Netanyahu’s press conference was about how the joint strikes with the United States, known as Operation Epic Fury, have been extremely effective at decimating Iran’s weapons. Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026 Among those objectives are preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and decimating the country’s naval capabilities. Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimating
Verb
  • Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
    Kori McNair, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • After all, plenty of cocktail enthusiasts already complain about mosquitoes ruining a summer evening.
    Emily Price, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Digital Realty already began demolishing the inside of the building, so Gray believed the agreement was set.
    Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 27 June 2026
  • But everyday people expressed their political outrage time and again, throwing rocks at and demolishing the houses of government officials, torching the king’s ships and forts and, eventually, marching to battle.
    Robert Parkinson, The Conversation, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has minted thousands of new millionaires, unleashing a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
    Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • The record-shattering heat waves in Europe last week and in the western US in March are two recent examples.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • The co-writer thing was a total disaster, devastating on every level.
    Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • One week after devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, relief efforts in South Florida continue at a steady pace.
    Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • The blaze remained confined to the wrecking yard property, despite briefly jumping a fence and igniting vegetation to the west.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
  • The good news is that dermatologists and makeup artists have figured out how to keep your SPF topped up without wrecking your foundation, blush or setting spray.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Powell is accused of smashing the mug over the victim's head.
    Jennifer Borrasso, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week at the height of its record-smashing heat wave, the country's public health agency said Sunday, as the head of the World Health Organization warned that Europe is now the fastest-warming continent and needs to do more to protect its citizens.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Decimating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimating. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on decimating

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