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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Recent Examples of extinction
The state once had grizzlies, but they had been hunted to extinction by the 1920s.
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Phil Helsel, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
At the next annual meeting of the AOU, Allen got three conservation resolutions passed—including one demanding the complete protection of any species on the verge of extinction.
—Tim Gallagher, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
Related article Antarctica’s emperor penguins at risk of extinction due to the climate crisis
The animals are only found in the wild in Antarctica, but they are increasingly threatened by the climate crisis.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 6 Nov. 2024
Tree species face an alarming risk of extinction, and the timing to emphasize this point couldn't be better.
—Simi Thambi, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for extinction 
Phil Helsel, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
At the next annual meeting of the AOU, Allen got three conservation resolutions passed—including one demanding the complete protection of any species on the verge of extinction.
—Tim Gallagher, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
Related article Antarctica’s emperor penguins at risk of extinction due to the climate crisis
The animals are only found in the wild in Antarctica, but they are increasingly threatened by the climate crisis.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 6 Nov. 2024
Tree species face an alarming risk of extinction, and the timing to emphasize this point couldn't be better.
—Simi Thambi, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for extinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinction
Noun
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Looting and destruction Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act after a generation of lobbying by educators and scientists who wanted to protect sites from commercial artifact looting and haphazard collecting by individuals.Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
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Among others, the Hazara and Tajik minorities are significantly affected, raising the question of whether the destruction is in part linked to ethnicity.Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Many planetary shifts and changes are causing havoc not just in the sky but also in our personal lives.Lisa Stardust, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
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Dangerous snow and ice have already piled up in parts of the Northeast, causing havoc on roads and roofs to cave in.Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Such outages are defined as those affecting at least 50,000 homes or businesses, or causing at least a 300-megawatt loss of power.Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
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Shiseido reported an operating loss of 2.7 billion yen in the six months ended June 30, versus a profit of 13.63 billion yen in the same prior-year period.Kathryn Hopkins, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The demolition of the Chicago Stock Exchange in 1972 is often cited as the tipping point toward creating any significant landmark protections in Chicago.Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
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This has included banning cars, demolition and construction work, and spraying roads with water.Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near extinction
Cite this Entry
“Extinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinction. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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