extinguish
verb
ex·tin·guish
ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 
extinguished; extinguishing; extinguishes
1
a(1)
: to bring to an end : make an end of
hope for their safety was slowly extinguished
(2)
: to reduce to silence or ineffectiveness
b
: to cause to cease burning : quench
c
: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)
d
: to dim the brightness of : eclipse
2
a
: to cause to be void : nullify
extinguish a claim
b
: to get rid of usually by payment
extinguish a debt
Examples of extinguish in a Sentence
The fire department was called in to extinguish the blaze.
He extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray.
They ruthlessly extinguished all resistance.
News of the conflict extinguished our hopes for a peaceful resolution.
Recent Examples on the Web
The airport confirmed firefighters extinguished the fire.
—
Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
We’d be sent out on motor cars to extinguish the flames.
—Graydon Carter, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
While this approach may seem like the silver bullet to extinguishing fake reviews while mitigating high costs, many companies and consumers have reported that such technology deployed by these organizations can lead to legitimate reviews being removed, erasing authentic customer experiences.
—Branden Abushanab, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Carefully extinguish smoking materials.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinguish
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Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
We’d be sent out on motor cars to extinguish the flames.
—Graydon Carter, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
While this approach may seem like the silver bullet to extinguishing fake reviews while mitigating high costs, many companies and consumers have reported that such technology deployed by these organizations can lead to legitimate reviews being removed, erasing authentic customer experiences.
—Branden Abushanab, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Carefully extinguish smoking materials.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinguish
Cite this Entry
“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinguish. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
extinguish
verb
ex·tin·guish
ik-ˈstiŋ-gwish
1
: to cause to stop burning
2
: to cause to die out
extinguisher
noun
Medical Definition
extinguish
transitive verb
ex·tin·guish
ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish
: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)
extinguish an avoidance response
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