decimating

verb

present participle of decimate
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 decimating The automaker is positioning this new lineup as its bulwark against the flood of Chinese imports that is currently decimating other European brands. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 7 Oct. 2026 Russia has been targeting presses and publishing houses across Ukraine for the past month, in a campaign that’s increasingly concerned with decimating Ukrainian culture. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026 Those numbers tell a powerful story, including decimating a Children’s Services Council approved by county voters in 2000. — Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026 Fielder and Oppenheim have created a fascinating portrait of a relationship, decimating notions of objectivity in documentary while also interrogating the limits of fiction. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026 Radiopharmaceuticals work by directing toxic radiation specifically to cancer cells, decimating them on site. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 31 Aug. 2026 The ensuing torrent of ice and rock created a wall of water that slammed into towns and villages that sat on the riverbank, decimating infrastructure and housing. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 The president's boasts about decimating the opponent's armed forces haven't prevented it from striking back with drones and missiles. — Susan Page, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 But unfortunately, this was not the end of wildfires decimating North America this summer. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimating
  1. destroying
  2. ruining
  3. demolishing
  4. shattering
  5. devastating
  6. wrecking
  7. smashing
Verb
  • One crab can eat more than 40 juvenile soft-shell clams in a day, while also destroying seagrass habitats.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • And then a seven-hour-long GRB came along—acting like a Death Star whose planet-destroying beam refused to switch off—that defied all explanation.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • The song is a cautionary tale about a brothel in New Orleans known for ruining many poor girls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As wet electrodes get thicker, the liquid binder migrates unevenly during drying, ruining the battery‘s structure.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruining
Verb
  • The district selected a redevelopment proposal this year that would include demolishing the school and building single-family homes.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The 18-year-old female elephant got loose from her handler outside her enclosure, then went on the run, demolishing the door of a saloon on North Avenue, smashing in the window of another and walking through the fence around a vacant lot.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolishing
Verb
  • Not since the Tesla Cybertruck made its glass-shattering debut in 2019 has a vehicle’s unveiling proven as polarizing as the Luce event.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The move came after a fireball erupted at this past New Year’s event, shattering windows and injuring a child in downtown Boise.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of shattering
Verb
  • The earthquake comes less than two months after a border region of Nepal and Tibet was struck by devastating flash flooding that left hundreds of people dead and destroyed several communities.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023, devastating large parts of the country and threatening stability along its borders.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick crossed the line while wrecking after Larson hit the wall trying to chase down Briscoe on the final turn.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Her first job as CEO in 2014 was to remake the century-old company’s corporate culture and regain customers’ trust following a tragic, reputation-wrecking ignition-switch crisis.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrecking
Verb
  • Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.
    — ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • This was the 36th launch and landing for B1063, which notably launched NASA's DART asteroid-smashing mission in November 2021.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of smashing

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Cite this Entry

“Decimating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimating. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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