holocaust

noun

ˈhō-lə-ˌkȯst How to pronounce holocaust (audio)
Definition of holocaustnext
1
as in inferno
a destructive burning the holocaust caused by the ignited chemicals completely destroyed the factory and several surrounding homes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in massacre
the killing of a large number of people as many as 2,000,000 people may have perished in the holocaust perpetrated by Cambodia's Khmer Rouge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 holocaust The result is that proliferation became the primary concern about nuclear technology for decades, not the risk of full global holocaust. — Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2026 As holocaust survivors get older and die, educators around the world are concerned about younger generations having little access to survivor testimonies. — Lauren Costantino march 27, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026 In Season 1, audiences saw Lucy (Ella Purnell) learning the truth about her dad (Kyle MacLachlan)’s involvement in the nuclear holocaust. — Scott Huver, Variety, 20 May 2026 Like Godzilla coming out less than a decade after America’s atomic holocaust over Japan, Parallax‘s debut in 1974 was only five years after the RFK and MLK assassinations. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for holocaust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holocaust
  1. inferno
  2. massacre
  3. fire
  4. slaughter
Noun
  • But Grand Junction’s cloudless blue sky gave no hint of the inferno that continued to ravage the Colorado-Utah border less than an hour away.
    — Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
  • The story detailed the first critical hours of the Palisades fire, when thousands of residents had to decide whether and how to flee the inferno.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Athalia’s family returned home a few days after the massacre.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
  • The issue has been particularly salient for low-income families living near fields of coca, the shrub used to make cocaine, as human rights organizations documented more than 50 massacres in Colombia just this year.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Definition of massacre
Noun
  • An evacuation warning was issued for the area of Paradise Ranch, between Templin Highway and the Pyramid Lake area, according to Los Angeles County fire officials.
    — Andrea Klick, Daily News, 7 July 2026
  • In Los Angeles County, the fire department said a man was critically injured after a fire burned at least two cars in a parking lot in the Wilmington neighborhood on July 3.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of fire
Noun
  • The rigidity and delusions of tyrannies are incorrigible; their purity spirals end in executions, not just cancellations; their adventures end in devastation and slaughter.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • Ruthye needs someone to avenge the slaughter of her family at the hands of Krem of the Yellow Hills.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
Definition of slaughter

Browse Nearby Words

Hollywood
holocaust
holocausts
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Cite this Entry

“Holocaust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holocaust. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on holocaust

Nglish: Translation of holocaust for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about holocaust

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