as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
in a stroke, the March snowstorm obliterated our hopes for an early spring
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 obliterate
The hardware store is obliterated, as are the quirky Bunny Museum and three churches near the intersection.
—
Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2025
Everything along Sunset to the village was obliterated, as was everything on the other side of that wide and iconic roadway — as can be seen in horrific aerial photos and videos.
—James R. Riffel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
The Assad family in Syria were no special friends to Hamas, but Israel took advantage of their fall to obliterate Syria's entire arsenal of heavy weapons, putting one more potential regional adversary out of military action for perhaps a generation.
—Max Rodenbeck, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Multiple blazes have erupted across LA since Jan. 7, obliterating neighborhoods and leaving a catastrophic trail of destruction.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for obliterate 
Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2025
Everything along Sunset to the village was obliterated, as was everything on the other side of that wide and iconic roadway — as can be seen in horrific aerial photos and videos.
—James R. Riffel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
The Assad family in Syria were no special friends to Hamas, but Israel took advantage of their fall to obliterate Syria's entire arsenal of heavy weapons, putting one more potential regional adversary out of military action for perhaps a generation.
—Max Rodenbeck, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Multiple blazes have erupted across LA since Jan. 7, obliterating neighborhoods and leaving a catastrophic trail of destruction.
—Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for obliterate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliterate
Verb
-
The theory holds that a community that rids itself of petty crime, such as shoplifting, vandalism and trespassing, can eradicate more serious crime because criminals won’t have anywhere to hide.—
JULIE K. BROWN,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Its achievements include eradicating smallpox and bringing polio to the brink of elimination.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship threatens to erase the futures of countless children—children whose potential will go untapped, whose contributions to art, science, and justice might never be realized.—
Paola Mendoza,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Despite that, Djokovic played well enough to erase a deficit and overcome Alcaraz in four sets.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The president, however, doesn’t have the authority to abolish the agency by executive order.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
4 Feb. 2025
-
In 1981, President Reagan went on a crusade to abolish the NEA, with multiple plans to break it apart, ranging from an immediate halt to halving its budget.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The video was released Sunday by a law firm representing a woman whose house was destroyed by the fire and is suing Southern California Edison, the primary electrical utility for Los Angeles.—
Michelle Watson,
CNN,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Palestinians who have been sheltering in squalid tent camps and schools-turned-shelters for over a year are eager to return to their homes — even though they have likely been damaged or destroyed.—
Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy,
TIME,
27 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near obliterate
Cite this Entry
“Obliterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliterate. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share