ANNIHILATE Synonyms: 244 Similar and Opposite Words

annihilate

verb

ə-ˈnī-ə-ˌlāt

Definition of annihilate

as in to eradicate

to destroy all traces of the family's attempts to annihilate the roach population in their apartment had met with little success

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to destroy

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of the tornado simply annihilated the family's home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to overcome

to defeat by a large margin we didn't just win; we absolutely annihilated them!

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 annihilate Just 75 hours after Hiroshima, a second atomic bomb annihilated another Japanese city, killing 73,000 people. — James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 Part woozy fever dream, part vicious action picture, the movie pivots on a prescient and horrifying warning about the ease with which humanity might annihilate itself. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 Here, too, a face is lost in another body—though this time the self is annihilated by desire rather than grief. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026 The matter and antimatter annihilate each other, creating other particles, including bundles of quarks. — Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for annihilate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilate

Verb

For decades, deer had populated Santa Rosa Island, but they were eradicated from the island at the end of 2011 to restore its native ecosystem and protect its natural vegetation.

— Noe Padilla, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Within a year of its onset, the economic depression practically eradicated the need to mint any new coinage for months.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of eradicate

Verb

In 2025, Ukraine smuggled over 100 drones into Russia inside cargo trucks to conduct strikes that damaged or destroyed roughly one-third of Russia’s active bomber fleet and caused approximately $7 billion in damages.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
Some 36,000 houses and buildings were destroyed or damaged, and more than 2,000 people are still living in evacuation centers, including school gymnasiums and community centers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

The Tar Heels’ ability to overcome some sloppiness — and, yes, take advantage of a slew of TCU mistakes — was a positive intangible sign after Belichick’s brutal debut season and offseason.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
But to overcome 30 years of Republican dominance, Talarico needs votes from everywhere.

— Eleanor Dearman Updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

But Bama followed with a 38-3 quarterfinal flop to Indiana, erasing any momentum and placing DeBoer squarely under the microscope entering a pivotal third season.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
The 68-year-old also lost her husband and her son, who worked at a local hydropower plant, in the flash floods that hit the region on Wednesday, erasing entire communities.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of erase

Verb

In many cases, bodies have been washed far downstream and rendered unrecognizable, while others still missing are feared to have been buried in the torrent of thick mud.

— Andrew Jones, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Huntsinger never expected to be dealing with a major mudslide that buried one of the festival’s main venues, The Palm, in three feet of mud.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of bury

Verb

This July, the EU enacted one of their demands, abolishing the customs duty exemption below €150 and introducing a temporary €3 duty per item.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Others, like abolishing the Senate and Supreme Court, are more controversial and used by Republicans to hammer DSA candidates as out of step with the American mainstream.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of abolish

Verb

The fight between a small Georgia community and tech giant Meta has escalated this week after four families filed a lawsuit against the company alleging a central Georgia data center project has contaminated their water and ruined their home values.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Gen, forgetting her swollen wrist, perks up at the thought of having a new person to ruin sheets with.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

Browse Nearby Words

annexing

annihilate

annihilated

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“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilate. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of annihilate

verb

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