as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the state's population of moose has been replenished, having once been hunted almost to extinction
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of extinction
The data on genomes that are cached in the museum will be open-sourced, providing researchers and geneticists around the world with information on all 10,000 species, in pursuit of conservation or de-extinction projects similar to what Colossal achieved with the dire wolf.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
With fewer than 10,000 of the mammals remaining and both species slow breeders, conservationists say long-term restoration is crucial to prevent the Mexican long-nosed bat’s extinction.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
There were participants in our cohort who remained rightfully critical of our utopian aims, our spectrum of privilege, and our position as cultural workers living through global extinction, famine, corruption, and violence in all its forms.
—Catherine Taft, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
But his refusal to adapt may now ensure his extinction.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
With fewer than 10,000 of the mammals remaining and both species slow breeders, conservationists say long-term restoration is crucial to prevent the Mexican long-nosed bat’s extinction.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
There were participants in our cohort who remained rightfully critical of our utopian aims, our spectrum of privilege, and our position as cultural workers living through global extinction, famine, corruption, and violence in all its forms.
—Catherine Taft, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
But his refusal to adapt may now ensure his extinction.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinction
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Expect Williams and Murphy to wreak similar havoc.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
6 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
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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
Noun
-
The site is slated for demolition and redevelopment into Mae Street Village.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
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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
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinction. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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