as in destroying
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 decimating
Israel, meanwhile, has emerged from the war in a much stronger security position after decimating Hamas in Gaza, slamming Hezbollah in Lebanon, and hammering Iran's nuclear facilities.
—
Greg Myre, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
Through single-cell RNA sequencing, the team indeed saw that glioblastoma upended the skull bone marrow's environment – filling it with pro-inflammatory neutrophils while decimating cancer-fighting antibody-producing B cells.
—New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2025
His latest film, Ocean with David Attenborough, was released in May 2025 just before the United Nations Ocean Conference, showcasing the wonder of underwater habitats while exposing how destructive fishing practices are decimating marine life.
—Elisabeth Brier, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Apart from decimating hundreds of species, the construction of an airport, a power plant, a ship repair yard, and a township will also cut off the tiny Shompen tribe from much of their habitat.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
That has monumentally changed college sports, of course, funneling schools into the Big Ten and SEC while decimating conferences like our old Pac-12 – but not the appeal of Pac-12 After Dark.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025
There, he was briefed on the massive wildfires that are decimating the northwest region of the country.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Environmental groups, others long oppose SpaceX rocket launches That aggressive approach, though, has rankled environmentalists and others who have criticized SpaceX's operations for potentially decimating regional ecosystems.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Combating bird flu Stories about bird flu decimating poultry farms and causing jumps in egg prices have been all across the news in recent months.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimating
Verb
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By the 1960s, gas flares and untreated waste spillage were destroying their forests.—
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And there is a risk of the parasites becoming dormant for years before reactivating and destroying a new cornea.—
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
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The video then shows the man asking if the situation was ruining Kaleel's Christmas.—
Verb
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The move came after the Office of County Administration released December cost estimates for demolishing the building and renovating it.—
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Fully reopening Leetsdale Drive is contingent on demolishing parts of the charred apartment complex that are still standing, Murphy said.—
Verb
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Yet for all of Malinin’s athleticism and his Beamonesque ability to take flight what has been most telling in what has already been a world record-shattering Olympic season has been the maturity of his skating, the willingness to take emotional risks in his programs.—
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Bana and Rocha were among the 615 participants in the 27th annual Waukegan Polar Bear Plunge on Thursday at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, shattering the record of 540 set in 2024, and collectively raising more than $20,000 for Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County.—
Verb
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Scenario two is that Harbaugh is leveraging the Giants’ rabid interest but ultimately could take a different job, devastating this desperate fan base.—
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Rubella, also called German measles, is mild in children but devastating to fetuses, causing deafness, heart defects and intellectual disabilities when pregnant women are infected.—
Verb
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The one that is responsible, once and for all, for fixing a defense that’s been complicit in wrecking three straight seasons of Burrow, Chase and Higgins.—
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And can interest be reduced without wrecking your financial future?—
Verb
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As Hodges stood there, scared and vulnerable, the man grabbed his baton and bashed him on the head with it, rupturing his lip and smashing his skull.—
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The man accused of smashing windows on Vice President JD Vance's home with a hammer is facing separate prosecutions in state and federal court.—
Cite this Entry
“Decimating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimating. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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