EXTINGUISH Synonyms: 191 Similar and Opposite Words

extinguish

verb

ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish

Definition of extinguish

as in to choke

to cause to cease burning the fire in the skillet was quickly extinguished by slamming the lid on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to destroy

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of a fatal blunder that extinguished all hope that the team would actually win the play-offs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to shush

to stop the noise or speech of her final, telling point extinguished her opponents on the city council

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stir
agitate

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 extinguish The Knicks’ championship generally extinguished perceptions that the West had the two best teams (the Thunder and Spurs). — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 Chinese authorities have tightened their grip on the media, the legal profession, and civil society, limiting the space for Chinese citizens to discuss mounting social woes and extinguishing emerging calls for deeper political reform. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026 And here in the wide, welcoming and inviting smile of his response their flame was instantly and definitely extinguished. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 But El Tri’s intensity was extinguished by Julian Hall’s 28th-minute goal, and against-the-run-of-play dagger that turned the tide while giving the 18-year-old forward goals in three straight games to begin his national team career. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for extinguish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinguish

Verb

Bill Snyder’s second-greatest football achievement as Kansas State’s legendary head coach, after magically transforming the nation’s most moribund program into a national contender, was to choke the life from his school’s biggest rivalry game.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
Among those arrested were individuals accused of choking their partners and assaulting their children, the sheriff’s office said.

— Tanya Babbar, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of choke

Verb

Rather than undertaking the difficult but just and moral work of reform of the nation's immigration laws, Vance would destroy and expel their families with a smile, claiming that such actions will save you money.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Running low on fuel, NASA chose to steer Cassini straight into Saturn's atmosphere, where the spacecraft was destroyed.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

Bass’ barrages got to Raman more than a few times, leading her to talk over the NBC and Telemundo moderators or even shush them.

— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
They were repeatedly shushed instead as the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3) fell to 13-10 in their marquee event after failing to keep pace with a USC offense that averaged nearly eight yards per play through the first three quarters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of shush

Verb

No matter your skin type, hydration is a must, and Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30 is here to quench, replenish, and protect with broad-spectrum SPF 30.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026
Hersh was a curious, radical listener who dreamt of quenching his wanderlust by traveling the world.

— Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of quench

Verb

The building’s owner previously told The Star the building would not be demolished and that it could be redeveloped.

— 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 demolish

Verb

Such visibly striking launches are far from guaranteed; Vandenberg and its scenic surroundings are often blanketed by fog, making rocket watching in the area a dicey proposition.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Fields of solar panels blanket parts of Inner Mongolia, while the slender silhouettes of wind turbines spin above grazing sheep.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of blanket

Verb

Burdick seemed to have drawn directly from McCarthy’s experience, the hopelessness of fighting with his father over a world his father had already ruined, the surrender to indulgence and mindless violence because…why not?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Each room is also outfitted with a Yale smart lock, which means there’s no room for that horrible feeling of losing a room key to ruin your vacation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruin

Browse Nearby Words

extinctions

extinguish

extinguishable

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Style

“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinguish. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of extinguish

verb

Example Sentences

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