EXTIRPATE Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'extirpate' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of extirpate are eradicate , exterminate , and uproot . While all these words mean "to effect the destruction or abolition of something," extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation. // many species have been extirpated from the area

Q: When is 'eradicate' a more appropriate choice than 'extirpate'?

Although the words eradicate and extirpate have much in common, eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself. // a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

Q: When would 'exterminate' be a good substitute for 'extirpate'?

While in some cases nearly identical to extirpate , exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals. // exterminate cockroaches

Q: When can 'uproot' be used instead of 'extirpate'?

The words uproot and extirpate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction. // the war uprooted thousands

extirpate

verb

ˈek-stər-ˌpāt

Definition of extirpate

as in to eradicate

to destroy all traces of the triumph of modern medicine in extirpating certain diseases

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How does the verb extirpate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of extirpate are eradicate, exterminate, and uproot. While all these words mean "to effect the destruction or abolition of something," extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

many species have been extirpated from the area

When is eradicate a more appropriate choice than extirpate?

Although the words eradicate and extirpate have much in common, eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

When would exterminate be a good substitute for extirpate?

While in some cases nearly identical to extirpate, exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

exterminate cockroaches

When can uproot be used instead of extirpate?

The words uproot and extirpate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

the war uprooted thousands

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 extirpate The bears were extirpated, or intentionally eliminated from an area, decades ago. — Eva Flowe may 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2026 Though otters were never completely extirpated from Pennsylvania, the state park says their numbers were vastly reduced. — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026 It's believed the last wolves in California were extirpated by the 1920s. — NPR, 26 Oct. 2025 Mountain lions were native to Arkansas until about 1920, when they were extirpated from the state through unregulated hunting and habitat loss. — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for extirpate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for extirpate

Verb

Scientists have been fighting a losing battle to eradicate them from sensitive ecosystems in South Florida.

— Alex Harris August 25, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
How to Get Rid of Bermuda Grass Bermuda grass can take years to eradicate once it’s established, says Rossi.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of eradicate

Verb

But Bama followed with a 38-3 quarterfinal flop to Indiana, erasing any momentum and placing DeBoer squarely under the microscope entering a pivotal third season.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
The 68-year-old also lost her husband and her son, who worked at a local hydropower plant, in the flash floods that hit the region on Wednesday, erasing entire communities.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of erase

Verb

While his party debates abolishing prisons and owning grocery stores, Democratic Mayor Daniel Lurie is cleaning up his city.

— Kate Andrews, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
Alabama has since abolished judicial override, the practice that allowed judges to order the state to kill a person even though a jury of one’s peers requested otherwise.

— Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of abolish

Verb

Almost 50 homes and other structures have been destroyed so far; there have been several injuries, and one of Tibbetts’s neighbors lost 20 German shepherds.

— Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
The flood then destroyed roads and knocked out power and phone networks, leaving families unable to establish even the most basic facts.

— Laura Saravia, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroy

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extinguishing

extirpate

extirpated

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“Extirpate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extirpate. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of extirpate

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