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 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 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 Silo, references to a toxic world imply that half a million people were sent underground to protect them from the horrors of a nuclear holocaust. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for holocaust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holocaust
  1. inferno
  2. massacre
  3. fire
  4. slaughter
Noun
  • Gunshots followed by an inferno Police responded to the home on Sunday evening and heard gunshots coming from out back, just before the house was completely engulfed in flames.
    — Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Hiding underneath a desk in a classroom was an 8-foot python, which fire officials say started the inferno.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Once the ruthless commander of Bosnian Serb forces, Mladic oversaw the siege of Sarajevo, mass killings and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre that left more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys dead.
    — Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Ratko Mladić, the Bosnian-Serb general who orchestrated the Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo during the Balkan wars, has died in prison aged 84.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of massacre
Noun
  • The Plaskett fire was 8,241 acres as of Sunday morning — up from about 6,000 acres Saturday morning — and only 1% contained.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This includes campfires, warming fires and charcoal barbecues, the park said, directing visitors to its Fire Information webpage.
    — Eve Chen, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fire
Noun
  • They would be housed in a large, rectangular, concrete-block building that had originally been a holding pen and slaughter area for livestock.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Many leaders of the slaughter were tried and convicted by a United Nations war crimes tribunal that has now closed down.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on holocaust

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about holocaust

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