exterminate
Translation
to exterminate, to eradicate, to wipe out
Examples
They tried to exterminate the pest population.
They tried to exterminate the pest population.
The goal is to exterminate the disease entirely.
The goal is to exterminate the disease entirely.
Grammar Patterns
((sth./sb.)) to destroy (sth./sb.) completely They tried to exterminate the pest population.
Similar Words
Synonyms: eradicate, annihilate, wipe out; Antonyms: create, preserve
Etymology
From Latin 'ex-' (out of) + 'terminus' (boundary). Originally meant 'to drive out', it evolved to mean 'to destroy completely'.
Memory Tips
Think 'ex-terminate' – to terminate something completely, pushing it 'out' of existence.