annihilation
noun
an·ni·hi·la·tion
ə-ˌnī-ə-ˈlā-shən 
plural annihilations
1
: the state or fact of being completely destroyed or obliterated : the act of annihilating something or the state of being annihilated
The late 1940s and '50s were so pervaded by a general fear of nuclear annihilation that the era was known as the Age of Anxiety.—
Charles Krauthammer
Charles KrauthammerFor a literary culture that fears it is on the brink of total annihilation, we are awfully cavalier about the Great Male Novelists of the last century.—Katie Roiphe
Katie Roiphe… few experts believe that either regime would risk annihilation by actually launching a nuke in anger.—Michael Elliott
Michael ElliottThe Cretaceous Extinction, whatever its cause, was one of the two most awesome annihilations of life in the history of the world.—John McPhee
John McPhee2
physics
: the combination of a particle and its antiparticle (such as an electron and a positron) that results in the subsequent total conversion of the particles into energy
Both the creation and annihilation of antimatter have been observed in nuclear accelerators (atom-smashers).—Harding E. Smith
Harding E. SmithThe annihilation reactions are the most efficient sources of energy known, for in them the entire mass of both particles is converted into pure energy.—George Greenstein
George GreensteinSynonyms
Examples of annihilation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With expected value thinking, the slightly higher chance of creating more value requires endlessly risking the annihilation of humanity.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2024
But this argument—to the extent that it isn’t rendered beyond trivial by the annihilation of Gaza and the West’s collaboration in that crime—is ludicrous and unsupported by history.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Donald Trump’s electoral annihilation of Nikki Haley shows yet again that populism remains a potent force.
—Henry Olsen, National Review, 15 Mar. 2024
Contemplating the origins of the world’s fear of nuclear annihilation, obviously, is another matter.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024
When will supposed safety for some cease to mean annihilation for others?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2024
How about suicide, terrorism, or nuclear annihilation?
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024
And the Doomsday Clock predicts how close humans are to total annihilation.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024
That there was enough leftover matter after this great annihilation to form galaxies, stars, planets and even us but almost no antimatter is known as the matter-antimatter imbalance.
—Luke Caldwell, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2024
Leif Wenar, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2024
But this argument—to the extent that it isn’t rendered beyond trivial by the annihilation of Gaza and the West’s collaboration in that crime—is ludicrous and unsupported by history.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Donald Trump’s electoral annihilation of Nikki Haley shows yet again that populism remains a potent force.
—Henry Olsen, National Review, 15 Mar. 2024
Contemplating the origins of the world’s fear of nuclear annihilation, obviously, is another matter.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024
When will supposed safety for some cease to mean annihilation for others?
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2024
How about suicide, terrorism, or nuclear annihilation?
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024
And the Doomsday Clock predicts how close humans are to total annihilation.
—Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024
That there was enough leftover matter after this great annihilation to form galaxies, stars, planets and even us but almost no antimatter is known as the matter-antimatter imbalance.
—Luke Caldwell, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'annihilation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Annihilation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annihilation. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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