decimated

verb

Definition of decimatednext
past tense of decimate
as in destroyed
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 decimated Toss in how Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson decimated the defense the week prior and some serious conversations need to be had. — Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 With a swing to far-right populism, local production is being put through a political grinder, first in Javier Milei’s Argentina who decimated public-sector subsidies. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has decimated the country’s heritage. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 In the course of that quest, Native populations were decimated. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 Further, the native Taino population had been decimated, and an investigator reported how Columbus used torture and mutilation as punishments. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 Up to 80% of the division staff did exactly that in a wave of departures that has decimated the division's institutional knowledge. — Ryan Lucas, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026 Hamas, which has been decimated but not yet unseated, has so far shown relative restraint and a willingness to absorb regular hits, including a series of assassinations of its members and regular airstrikes by Israel. — Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026 The only way Dallas wins is by outscoring teams and Dak Prescott should shred a secondary that has been decimated by injury. — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decimated
  1. destroyed
  2. ruined
  3. demolished
  4. shattered
  5. devastated
  6. wrecked
  7. smashed
Verb
  • Firefighters battling a blaze that destroyed six homes in south Orange County can expect a bit of reprieve Saturday afternoon as Santa Ana winds begin to die down.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Its owners, a family of three, left for a cruise before the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel destroyed their property.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroyed
Verb
  • Janice was disgusted; Mary was emotionally devastated and financially ruined.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Totally ruined by introducing too many plot lines that were pointless or opened up and left alone without closure.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruined
Verb
  • That includes what else could get demolished or built, beyond the stadium and team headquarters.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The island is the former home of a Renault factory, which was active for most of the 20th century and demolished in 2005.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolished
Verb
  • Multiple temperature records have been shattered, and an intense marine heat wave has been churning since last December — making our typical high tides even higher — El Niño notwithstanding.
    — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Business damaged by gunfire A bullet shattered the window of Tikal Cocina Café during the shooting.
    — Janay Reece, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of shattered
Verb
  • Decades of deforestation have devastated vast areas of orangutan habitat, pushing the animals into smaller pockets, increasing their vulnerability to poachers.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Going on two years after the wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles-area neighborhoods, a popular moviehouse is ready for its closeup.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastated
Verb
  • Researchers believe the ship may have been traveling from the Levantine coast, which runs from Turkey in the north to Egypt in the south, to Troy or Crete when it was wrecked.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The story centers on an influencer whose life is wrecked by an online pile-on.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrecked
Verb
  • The storm battered the coast over the weekend with wind, rain and unusually large waves, which tore apart a historic boardwalk and smashed into coastal homes.
    — JAIMIE DING, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Waves tore apart a historic boardwalk and smashed against coastal homes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of smashed

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decimated
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Cite this Entry

“Decimated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decimated. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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