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
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Recent Examples of decimate
The Nisenan, like all of California’s Native peoples, were decimated by the settlers’ campaigns of violence and cultural eradication.
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Michelle Weber, Longreads, 4 Dec. 2024
Israel has decimated Hezbollah’s top military brass and Nasrallah’s absence is acutely felt.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
The county, which relies heavily upon an agriculture industry whose workforce could be decimated under Trump’s deportation plans, has long struggled with poverty and unemployment.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
The finding showed Chinese exports have continued to power the $18 trillion economy’s uneven recovery, although U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs that could decimate trade between the countries.
—Bloomberg, Fortune Asia, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decimate 
Michelle Weber, Longreads, 4 Dec. 2024
Israel has decimated Hezbollah’s top military brass and Nasrallah’s absence is acutely felt.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
The county, which relies heavily upon an agriculture industry whose workforce could be decimated under Trump’s deportation plans, has long struggled with poverty and unemployment.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
The finding showed Chinese exports have continued to power the $18 trillion economy’s uneven recovery, although U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs that could decimate trade between the countries.
—Bloomberg, Fortune Asia, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimate
Verb
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Al Shahabi also asked on Facebook where the recordings of surveillance cameras at regime security branches had gone, why some documents had been destroyed and why human rights groups had not done more to protect records.Raja Razek, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
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He is then seen waving the baton, destroying property and throwing items at police, according to his criminal complaint.Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Officials are assessing damage after Cyclone Chido devastated the island of Mayotte over the weekend.Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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West Ninth Street continued to grow throughout this time, but the Great Depression of the 1930s devastated many businesses and fraternal groups.Helaine Williams, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This increases the risk of electrical shocks, fire, and short circuits, which can ruin your holidays.Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
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Over time, this can take away a company's competitive edge or even ruin its reputation with future talent.Subha Barry, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Once, in a stadium since demolished, the Orioles won three world championships; the Baltimore Colts did the same.Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 13 Dec. 2024
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Subsequently demolished and rebuilt by Simo Design and Fischer Construction, the sleek wood and stone structure ultimately sold to Bay-Schuck in late 2019 for $11 million.Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The star, who suffered a horrific snowplow accident on New Year’s Day nearly two years ago that shattered 38 bones, discussed his career and more in a wide-ranging on-stage appearance at Culture Square in the second-largest Saudi city’s old town Al-Balad.Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
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The numbers exploded from the jump and never relented, with world records shattering one after the other.Josh Condon, Robb Report, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group most immediately responsible for Assad’s overthrow, has announced that victory is not a license to wreck the institutions of the state, nor to initiate a wave of retribution against Alawites in general.Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
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This couldn’t be further from the truth—especially the part about Trump’s corruption and self-dealing being no different from the norm—but Biden is doing the work of people who want to wreck the best aspects of America’s democratic ethos.Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The leaves must be smashed and not chopped for fear the blade of a knife will over-oxidize them.Thessaly La Force, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Dec. 2024
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Meanwhile, Hulu scored hits in unexpected places (reality smash The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) even as shows such as Futurama and Only Murders in the Building continued to be quiet streaming hits.Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimate. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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