1
as in to choke
to cause to cease burning
the fire in the skillet was quickly extinguished by slamming the lid on
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of extinguish
The international firefighters were to go to the third floor, force their way into a specific room and extinguish a fire.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
Called into action The fire that Porter and Robinson helped extinguish last November in Montana was on a mountain ridge in a stand of pine trees in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
Once ignited, lithium-ion batteries can enter a self-sustaining cycle called thermal runaway, causing rapid temperature increases and making the fire difficult to extinguish.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered all resources available to be used to extinguish the fire, his office said in a statement.
—Reuters, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinguish
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
Called into action The fire that Porter and Robinson helped extinguish last November in Montana was on a mountain ridge in a stand of pine trees in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
Once ignited, lithium-ion batteries can enter a self-sustaining cycle called thermal runaway, causing rapid temperature increases and making the fire difficult to extinguish.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered all resources available to be used to extinguish the fire, his office said in a statement.
—Reuters, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extinguish
Verb
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But, just like peanut butter—which is considered healthy for infants—Levinson says that cold, firm chunks or thick globs of butter may pose a choking hazard.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
7 Mar. 2025
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Lawmakers need to get it together soon, or the economy will go from gagging to choking.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Lost in a sea of ash: When wildfire destroys a home — and a loved one’s urn — the search begins.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
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This is a major U-turn from Riot, after completely revamping the rewards system at the start of the year and being destroyed by fans for it.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Duke did things to Illinois on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, in a 110-67 eyeful that wasn’t as close as the final score, to shush talk of a weak ACC potentially costing Cooper and the fighting Flaggs a No. 1 seed.—
Joe Rexrode,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Visiting Villa manager Unai Emery had earlier been left angered by the decision to send off Jhon Duran with Tindall later seen shushing the Spaniard in the technical area.—
Callum Davis,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The juice quenched a thirst that went beyond physical needs.—
Nel-Olivia Waga,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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So quench your hair’s thirst now and protect it from future despair with the best hydrating treatments the internet has to offer—as recommended by editors, hairstylists, and dermatologists.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Many have long since been demolished or altered beyond recognition, but some of the most beautiful have miraculously kept their original structures and decoration intact.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
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Most of the historic neighborhood theater buildings were either demolished or destroyed by fire, often replaced by parking lots or highways.—
Michael Wells,
Kansas City Star,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The battle for copyright in the AI age is far from over, but one thing is clear: musicians, writers, and artists are ready to fight back, and they will not be silenced. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.—
Virginie Berger,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Our social media volunteers, supporters in the diaspora, and activists have had their families harassed and abducted, all in an effort to silence dissent.—
Imran Khan,
TIME,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Carolyn Chu of the Legislative Analysts Office doused that idea, though, saying that money going to Washington from California is paid by individuals and by businesses, not the state itself.—
Phil Willon,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2025
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After all, they’re all washed by the same water and more or less equally doused in sunshine, too.—
Terry Ward,
AFAR Media,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Sometimes, one bad person or a few bad people can ruin things for everybody.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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The floods were also a disaster for businesses that lost valuable stock, like a local bookstore which saw $25,000 worth of books ruined, the BBC reported.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extinguish. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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