decimate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Opponents warn the proposal would decimate funding for essential services and reduce local government fiscal autonomy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
He also called concerns that AI will decimate jobs worldwide "complete nonsense".
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
Software stocks dropped on Friday after digital-payments company Block announced it is slashing more than 4,000 employees — further fueling fears that artificial intelligence could decimate employee head counts and hurt demand for software.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026
At worst, biomass projects can decimate forests and release their stored carbon into the atmosphere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2025
To decimate once meant “to slaughter every tenth one,” although it’s rarely used literally these days.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
![]()
Snaring decimates wildlife populations and has pushed many larger mammals to local or even global extinction.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2024
“We can eradicate this insidious disease that decimates communities and extinguishes lives far too soon.”
From Washington Times ● Sep. 15, 2023
Of the 10 current members, Colorado is the only school the Pac-12 can lose in the realignment game without triggering either mass panic or a rush to the door that decimates the league.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 27, 2023
In “The Last of Us” episode, Bill and Frank meet four years after a mysterious mutant cordyceps outbreak decimates humanity — not necessarily the ideal time for a meet-cute.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2023
They also procured, with much difficulty and at a high price, a quantity of lemons, for preventing or curing the scurvy, that terrible disease which decimates crews in the icy regions.
From A Winter Amid the Ice and Other Thrilling Stories by Jules Verne
While Premier League teams see their squads decimated by international call-ups, it is not quite as dramatic in the Championship.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
It’s based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel and set in Colorado 10 years in the future after an aggressive flu has decimated much of the population.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
This deadly strain of bird flu has already decimated wild bird and mammal populations worldwide.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
The population flight decimated Gary’s commercial core, leaving a phalanx of abandoned stores and banks along Broadway and thousands of vacant houses around town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
As predicted, it swooped through the decimated doorway without knocking so much as a sliver of stone from the medieval walls.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
![]()
Dissent got louder after the twin quakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24, killing over 6,000 people and decimating hundreds of buildings.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
But that goal isn’t served by decimating one company and hobbling the other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The rapper’s overhaul of the dwelling saw it reduced to little more than a concrete shell, decimating almost all of Ando’s original design — and leaving design lovers up in arms over its destruction.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 3, 2026
Hurricane Melissa has continued its devastating sweep across the Caribbean, decimating homes and infrastructure, flooding neighbourhoods and leaving dozens dead.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2025
Smallpox, measles, influenza, typhus, bubonic plague, and other infectious diseases endemic in Europe played a decisive role in European conquests, by decimating many peoples on other continents.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
![]()
Vocabulary lists containing decimate
Super Bowl Blowout: Epic Vocab for the Big Game
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Perfect Ten: Dec, Cent, Mille
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: September 25 - October 1, 2017
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!