1
as in to choke
to cause to cease burning
the fire in the skillet was quickly extinguished by slamming the lid on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
a fatal blunder that extinguished all hope that the team would actually win the play-offs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of extinguish
Smoke and an acrid smell lingered through the night as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
—
Sacbee.com, 2 July 2025
By the time firefighters extinguished the blaze, the baby had died, the sheriff said.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2025
Firefighters quickly extinguished a brush fire on a Clairemont hillside Sunday morning.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2025
Unfortunately, a drunken Ben makes a heinous error in judgment that abruptly extinguishes the generosity of their hosts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinguish
Sacbee.com, 2 July 2025
By the time firefighters extinguished the blaze, the baby had died, the sheriff said.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2025
Firefighters quickly extinguished a brush fire on a Clairemont hillside Sunday morning.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2025
Unfortunately, a drunken Ben makes a heinous error in judgment that abruptly extinguishes the generosity of their hosts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinguish
Verb
-
The boy stuck his head through the dividers and appeared to be choking, according to the witness, who said Smith laughed and pushed the boy’s head back through the divider.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
-
In addition to the chickens, Frank flushed his shoes down one of the toilets, Dennis and Dee kept blowing fuses with the scheme's need for a power-sucking vacuum sealer, and the basement was choked with carbon monoxide.—
Dennis Perkins,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Experts have long assumed that the instrument had been destroyed or lost to history.—
Asia London Palomba,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
-
The fire that destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge was burning on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.—
AZCentral.com,
AZCentral.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
For a start, the cheers from the nearby Andy Murray Arena are loud and booming, but so too is the exclusive balcony area hanging just to the side of the court, where people are sipping their wine or their Pimm’s and chatting loudly (the judge on court 1 has to shush them at one point).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
The crowd had just spent an entire overtime shushing each other.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
From restoring elasticity to quenching dryness and nourishing the skin with essential vitamins and minerals, the best body oils can make everything below the neck supple, satiny, and ready to shine.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
28 June 2025
-
California’s existing groundwater infrastructure may fail to quench the state’s thirst in an increasingly arid future, even as officials celebrate widespread conservation achievements, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) warned on Tuesday.—
Sharon Udasin,
The Hill,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
It was held at Isaza’s grandparents’ house, which was about to be demolished.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
10 July 2025
-
Shops at Sunset Place, a landmark mall in South Miami, will be demolished and replaced by towers filled with condos, a hotel, offices, a theater and restaurants.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
This option allows priority notifications — like severe weather alerts — to interrupt you while still silencing less urgent messages.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
10 July 2025
-
Elections are tightly controlled, opposition is criminalized, political parties are banned, and dissenters—even peaceful ones are silenced.—
Roya Boroumand,
Time,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
As Elia trudged down the left-field line to the clubhouse after the game, a dozen or so alleged Cub fans doused Moreland with stale beer and hurled verbal abuse at Larry Bowa.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
-
Additionally, after the verdict, several people gathered outside the courtroom and publicly doused themselves with baby oil.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Sophisticated travelers can savor world-class dining, from rich Hakata ramen to the most delicious gyoza, or explore modern art, castle ruins, and shops run by local artisans.—
Mark Lakin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 July 2025
-
Now a wonderful memory of the occasion will be ruined in my memories.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinguish. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share