Synonyms for eradicate
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Exterminate — to destroy completely; to reduce to nothing radically; to put an end to
exterminate, extirpate, annihilate, uproot, destroy, eliminate, extinguish, wipe out, obliterate, remove, abolish, kill, erase, decimate, abate, efface, carry off, blot out, liquidate, delete, stamp out, cancel
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To pull up by the roots.
- v. 2
To destroy completely; to reduce to nothing radically; to put an end to.
Near-synonyms: delete, erase
Related words
- Word family
- eradicator eradicable eradication eradicative
Forms
- Past participle
- eradicated
e.g. eradicated → exterminated, extirpated, annihilated, uprooted…
Choose the right word
e, out, and radix, root) is primarily applied to numbers or groups of plants which it is desired to remove effectually from the soil; a single tree may be uprooted, but is not said to be eradicated; we labor to eradicate or root out noxious weeds.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- exterminate The insecticide promised to exterminate cockroaches.
- annihilate We shall annihilate anyone who stands in our way!
- uproot Powerful winds on Earth can uproot trees, toss over cars, and destroy houses.
- extirpate This thing is necessary to extirpate the evil of the world.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| eradicate | steady | |
| exterminate | steady | |
| annihilate | rising | |
| uproot | rising | |
| extirpate | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- kill1
- 5 letters
- erase2, abate2
- 6 letters
- remove2, delete2, cancel2, uproot2, efface2
- 7 letters
- destroy2, abolish3
- 8 letters
- decimate3
- 9 letters
- eliminate4, liquidate3, extirpate3
- 10 letters
- extinguish3, annihilate4, obliterate4
- 11 letters
- exterminate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (erase2 = 2 syllables).