as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the virtual extermination of the native tribes by the colonizers
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Recent Examples of extermination
But when Mickey is cloned prematurely, resulting in multiple Mickeys, both Mickeys find themselves in danger of extermination.
—
Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
Leaders from around the world gathered in Jerusalem on Tuesday to highlight the global surge in antisemitism on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked annually on the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi extermination camp.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The family was forced into a cattle car packed full of mostly Jewish people, forced to go to what was supposed to be a work camp at Auschwitz in Poland, but was an extermination camp.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Her foundation helped fund a plan with the mayor of Bucharest in Romania to sterilize hundreds of thousands of stray dogs in the city, as an alternative to extermination.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
And, indeed, Jewish history is fraught with stretches of harsh conditions, including persecution, exile and extermination.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Dec. 2025
But by 1970, almost none existed in the wild, a consequence of hunting and extermination.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 28 Nov. 2025
At extermination camps, the Nazis burned the remains of Jewish victims in crematoria to hide evidence of genocide.
—Jesse Kirsch, NBC news, 4 Nov. 2025
In Danis Tanovic’s underseen drama, Farrell plays an Irish war photographer who gets separated from his best friend and colleague in Iraqi Kurdistan in the prelude to Saddam Hussein’s 1988 extermination campaign against the Kurds.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
Leaders from around the world gathered in Jerusalem on Tuesday to highlight the global surge in antisemitism on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked annually on the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi extermination camp.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The family was forced into a cattle car packed full of mostly Jewish people, forced to go to what was supposed to be a work camp at Auschwitz in Poland, but was an extermination camp.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Her foundation helped fund a plan with the mayor of Bucharest in Romania to sterilize hundreds of thousands of stray dogs in the city, as an alternative to extermination.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
And, indeed, Jewish history is fraught with stretches of harsh conditions, including persecution, exile and extermination.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Dec. 2025
But by 1970, almost none existed in the wild, a consequence of hunting and extermination.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 28 Nov. 2025
At extermination camps, the Nazis burned the remains of Jewish victims in crematoria to hide evidence of genocide.
—Jesse Kirsch, NBC news, 4 Nov. 2025
In Danis Tanovic’s underseen drama, Farrell plays an Irish war photographer who gets separated from his best friend and colleague in Iraqi Kurdistan in the prelude to Saddam Hussein’s 1988 extermination campaign against the Kurds.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extermination
Noun
-
Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Though once vital to the economy of the American territory, Puerto Rico’s sugar plantations evolved to represent the destruction and exploitation of colonialism that continues to impact the region today—a detail not lost on those cast as grass.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Palestinian American poet Noor Hindi and the Sudanese American poet Safia Elhillo described the devastation of their homelands.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The conflict that ended in 1992 resulted in the deaths of 75,000 civilians, forced more than a million Salvadorans to flee the country and caused severe economic devastation for those who remained.—
Yamlek Mojica,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For people accustomed to the idea that nature was eternal and unchanging, Holmes observes, the idea of extinction was profoundly troubling.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Starship launches from Starbase Musk has often spoken about his vision of colonizing other worlds in our solar system to ensure humanity's survival in the event of an extinction-level even on Earth.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This is about Tom Homan and Greg Bovino and Kristi Noem and all the other immigration officials that have wrought so much unfounded havoc.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Expect Williams and Murphy to wreak similar havoc.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The site is slated for demolition and redevelopment into Mae Street Village.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The gift from Zuckerberg and Meta will fund abatement, demolition, and initial construction of the campus, enabling new student housing alongside new academic spaces, including STEM facilities and an AI center.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Well, at least there’s a Super Bowl ad that addresses the frustration many may be feeling, courtesy of the company that provides pills for hair loss, weight loss and libido loss.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Payton’s longtime assistant, Lombardi was fired a few days after the Broncos’ AFC Championship Game loss.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extermination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extermination. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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