obliterating

verb

present participle of obliterate
as in eradicating
to destroy all traces of in a stroke, the March snowstorm obliterated our hopes for an early spring

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 obliterating Today, for a few brief moments, some one billion people experienced partly or fully dark skies as the moon passes directly in front of our star, obliterating its light. — Claire Cameron & Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026 Then, on August 6, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, obliterating nearly five square miles of the city. — James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 Instead, the teams combined to score 19 runs, obliterating my total. — David Troy, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 Near the speed of light, special relativity wreaks havoc on clocks and time, obliterating the concept of simultaneity among observers traveling at different speeds. — Peter Gosselin, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 The entire lighting system can be neutralized by flipping a single switch, obliterating all visibility except for a spotlight on the enemy’s crotch. — Dahlia Gallin Ramirez, New Yorker, 9 June 2026 If the 38 days of devastating air strikes that began on 28 February failed to bring Tehran to heel, what difference would obliterating a few more targets make? — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 May 2026 In the East, that means obliterating the recent past and starting anew in pursuit of communist utopian dreams under the already alarmingly heavy hand of the Russians. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026 That’s Racine’s journey, completely reopening, obliterating, and doing surgery on the wound. — Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obliterating
  1. eradicating
  2. erasing
  3. abolishing
  4. destroying
Verb
  • Tlaib is also a prominent critic of Israel; her rhetoric has been chastised by Jewish colleagues as an antisemitic call for eradicating Jews, a charge the congresswoman and her supporters reject.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • That method, called Sterile Insect Technique, was originally successful in eradicating flies from the United States and Central America and pushing the screwworm population back beyond the Darién Gap at the border of Panama and Colombia.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of eradicating
Verb
  • Triodos Bank warns the extreme weather could reduce EU GDP by approximately €180 billion, effectively erasing forecast growth.
    — Jamie Hailstone, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Pride in place and purpose really does mean something, and erasing Anaheim from the name diminishes not only my community, but what this fan base stands for.
    — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of erasing
Verb
  • Some members sought to amend the resolution to call for reforming ICE rather than abolishing it.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Some of Hong’s past comments, including calling for the cancellation of Thanksgiving and abolishing the police, have garnered scrutiny in recent days.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of abolishing
Verb
  • The show was filmed across Northern Ireland, and the weather proved to be brutal, with the rain constantly destroying sets that had to be rebuilt.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Ukrainian defenders repelled the attack and posted video footage of their kamikaze drone strikes destroying at least seven T-72B3A tanks, including some that carried the Arena-M system, according to Euromaidan Press.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroying

Browse Nearby Words

obliterates
obliterating
obliteration
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Cite this Entry

“Obliterating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obliterating. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on obliterating

Nglish: Translation of obliterating for Spanish Speakers

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