obliterate

verb

ə-ˈbli-tə-ˌrāt How to pronounce obliterate (audio)
Definition of obliteratenext
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of in a stroke, the March snowstorm obliterated our hopes for an early spring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 obliterate The entire lighting system can be neutralized by flipping a single switch, obliterating all visibility except for a spotlight on the enemy’s crotch. — Dahlia Gallin Ramirez, New Yorker, 9 June 2026 Near the speed of light, special relativity wreaks havoc on clocks and time, obliterating the concept of simultaneity among observers traveling at different speeds. — Peter Gosselin, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 What a great excuse to weave insanely disparate situations into one narrative; obliterate the line between realistic and whimsical. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 11 June 2026 The situation has grown bleaker in the last decade and a half as commercial pressures have ramped up and media consolidation and digital shortsightedness have obliterated arts coverage. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for obliterate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliterate
  1. eradicate
  2. erase
  3. abolish
  4. destroy
Verb
  • In 1980, smallpox became the first human disease ever eradicated worldwide.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • The rare partnership is giving the tribe an opportunity to introduce its language, history, culture that the federal government once tried to eradicate to soccer fans around the world.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of eradicate
Verb
  • Sue Kim, director of color marketing at Cabot paints, says refreshing these pieces should never erase the charm.
    — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026
  • In order to safely accomplish the stunt, Cruise was attached via a wire that was later erased in post production.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of erase
Verb
  • The other reconstruction amendments abolished slavery and expanded voting rights.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Trump and his supporters have repeatedly pushed Senate leaders to abolish the filibuster to pass the election bill, but there's also insufficient support to drastically change the chamber's procedures.
    — Dan Mangan,Luke Fountain,Kevin Breuninger,Garrett Downs,Ashley Capoot,Justin Papp, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • The most common type of dementia, which destroys memory and cognitive function, was responsible for 116,022 deaths in 2024, NCHS data shows.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • That book is a revenge fantasy about the former art school professor who seduced her, discarded her and destroyed her confidence as a painter.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 2 July 2026
Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

obliquity
obliterate
obliterated
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Obliterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliterate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on obliterate

Nglish: Translation of obliterate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All