Meaning & use
exterminate
To destroy or eliminate a group of living things completely, especially pests or vermin.
See it in a sentence
The company was hired to exterminate the termites in the old house.
The regime attempted to exterminate an entire ethnic group during the war.
A note on using this word
Exterminate is strong and final; it implies total destruction rather than mere reduction or removal.
Words with a similar meaning
eradicateannihilate
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
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