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.

Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe finished in 1:59:30, obliterating the previous record of 2:00:35 set at the 2023 Chicago Marathon by Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

The United States is the only country to have used nuclear weapons in combat, obliterating the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, killing some 214,000 people.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Myers’ vision for the area included reintroducing animals that had once been native inhabitants, including tule elk and bighorn sheep, and obliterating man-made intrusions, such as a rock quarry, petroleum waste pits, fences and roads.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2025

There are ethical and anticompetitive concerns about obliterating independent developers operating wholly within your walled-garden ecosystem.

From Slate • Oct. 31, 2024

With each stroke the marker squeaked, obliterating his pressed khakis, blue button-down, and wide smile.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas