annihilation

noun

ə-ˌnī-ə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce annihilation (audio)
Definition of annihilationnext
as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless idealists who seek the annihilation of all forms of prejudice

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 annihilation In any event, there’s difficult-to-imitate value in how Planet of the Apes begins as a simple adventure film and winds up touching upon issues of prejudice, social inequality, and nuclear annihilation. — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 To prove to Miles that Sarah is telling the truth—that his work will lead to humanity’s near-annihilation—the T-800 removes the skin from his hand and forearm, revealing the cyber skeleton underneath. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 Perhaps most viscerally, given the ever-present specter of nuclear annihilation during the Cold War, Capps was appalled by Falwell’s apocalyptic rhetoric and cavalier posture toward global destruction. — Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026 O’Neal’s annihilation of Chris Dudley in 1999 showcased his power, footwork and showmanship. — Jason Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for annihilation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for annihilation
  1. destruction
  2. devastation
  3. extinction
  4. havoc
  5. demolition
  6. loss
  7. extermination
Noun
  • Sixty-five percent of Gazans agreed that armed resistance had failed to protect Palestinians and had instead brought destruction.
    — Michael Robbins, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Look past the 1951 setting, however, and the movie's anti-war message about humanity being on a crash course to destruction has never lost its poignancy.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • By then, fire had ravaged the community; the report suggests that incident commanders were unaware of the devastation.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • How to Help Nepal’s Flood Victims Despite the devastation, there has been a beacon of hope.
    — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastation
Noun
  • LeCun is more concerned about AI regulatory capture than human extinction.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Florida panther was close to extinction when the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the predecessor of the Endangered Species Act, was passed and led to changes that began to help stabilize the population.
    — Timothy Randhir, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of extinction
Noun
  • The storms have caused flooding, havoc and devastation in several parts of Chile.
    — Nayara Batschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • So where does this rank among the wackiest havoc ever wreaked by domes on innocent baseballs?
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • Earlier this week, a single Republican senator blocked Democrats' attempts to stop the construction of the arch as well as the demolition of the Kennedy Center.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Phoenix also holds stakes in at least eight other companies providing equipment for the Israeli military ranging from drones to warships to demolition machinery, CNN found.
    — Allegra Goodwin, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolition
Noun
  • The devastating loss of the coast has opened up the path for a change in the Saudis’ intolerance for dissent within the anti-Houthi coalition, however.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The rite symbolizes the deceased's final departure from the world of the living and helps the family come to terms with the loss.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of loss
Noun
  • California’s system of water law dates back to the Gold Rush, when the state government promoted the extermination of Native people to make way for white settlers.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But hope is not lost in Shelley’s reworking of the bleak vision of postapocalypse as terminal and total extermination of life.
    — Eileen Hunt, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of extermination

Browse Nearby Words

annihilating
annihilation
annihilations
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Cite this Entry

“Annihilation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/annihilation. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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