annihilate
verb
an·ni·hi·late
ə-ˈnī-ə-ˌlāt 
annihilated; annihilating
1
a
: to cause to cease to exist : to do away with entirely so that nothing remains
b
: to destroy a considerable part of
Bombs annihilated the city.
The enemy troops were annihilated.
c
: to defeat overwhelmingly : rout
annihilated the visitors 56–0
2
a
: to cause to be of no effect : nullify
a right to freedom that cannot be annihilated
b
: to destroy the substance or force of
Fear can annihilate one's confidence.
3
: to regard as of no consequence
4
: to cause (something, such as a particle and its antiparticle) to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (such as photons)
matter and antimatter annihilate each other
of a particle and its antiparticle
: to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (such as photons)
Synonyms
Examples of annihilate in a Sentence
The enemy troops were annihilated.
He annihilated his opponent in the last election.
Recent Examples on the Web
By contrast, if Israel laid down its arms and the IDF returned to its bases, Israel very likely would be annihilated.
—
Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 22 Apr. 2024
Cody’s vibrant Germantown Revival color palette emerged from a dark era: the devastating 1863-1866 U.S. government campaign to annihilate the Diné by burning villages, killing herds and removing more than 10,000 Navajo from their homelands.
—Patricia Leigh Brown, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for annihilate 
Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 22 Apr. 2024
Cody’s vibrant Germantown Revival color palette emerged from a dark era: the devastating 1863-1866 U.S. government campaign to annihilate the Diné by burning villages, killing herds and removing more than 10,000 Navajo from their homelands.
—Patricia Leigh Brown, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for annihilate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'annihilate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near annihilate
Cite this Entry
“Annihilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annihilate. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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