ERADICATE Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'eradicate' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of eradicate are exterminate , extirpate , and uproot . While all these words mean "to effect the destruction or abolition of something," eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself. // a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

Q: In what contexts can 'exterminate' take the place of 'eradicate'?

Although the words exterminate and eradicate have much in common, exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals. // exterminate cockroaches

Q: When is it sensible to use 'extirpate' instead of 'eradicate'?

While in some cases nearly identical to eradicate , extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation. // many species have been extirpated from the area

Q: When can 'uproot' be used instead of 'eradicate'?

The words uproot and eradicate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction. // the war uprooted thousands

eradicate

verb

i-ˈra-də-ˌkāt

Definition of eradicate next

as in to erase

to destroy all traces of the successful effort to eradicate smallpox around the globe

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How does the verb eradicate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of eradicate are exterminate, extirpate, and uproot. While all these words mean "to effect the destruction or abolition of something," eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

In what contexts can exterminate take the place of eradicate?

Although the words exterminate and eradicate have much in common, exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

exterminate cockroaches

When is it sensible to use extirpate instead of eradicate?

While in some cases nearly identical to eradicate, extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

many species have been extirpated from the area

When can uproot be used instead of eradicate?

The words uproot and eradicate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

the war uprooted thousands

Examples Sentences

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Recent Examples of eradicate In the following years, the WSDA found and eradicated a single hornet nest in October 2020, then three nests in August and September 2021. —

Charna Flam, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024 The disease, which had killed millions globally, was recognized by the WHO as eradicated in 1980. —

Mark Jones, The Arizona Republic, 9 Dec. 2024 On this day in 1979: Scientists declared that smallpox had been eradicated about a dozen years after the World Health Organization intensified its vaccination push and prior requirements in many countries in the Americas and Europe. —

Mark Jones, The Arizona Republic, 9 Dec. 2024 In the 1950s, an ambitious international campaign was launched to eradicate the insect in the north and center of the continent. —

Geraldine Castro, WIRED, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for eradicate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for eradicate

Verb

One dud doesn’t erase the good performances Young has put on tape over the past month.

Joseph Person, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
In August, the Taliban published vice laws that ban women’s voices and bare faces in public in an effort to completely erase Afghan women and girls from public life.

Brian Cheng, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024