obliterate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to remove or destroy all traces of; do away with; destroy completely.
-
to blot out or render undecipherable (writing, marks, etc.); efface.
- Synonyms:
- expunge
verb
Related Words
See cancel.
Other Word Forms
- obliterable adjective
- obliteration noun
- obliterative adjective
- obliterator noun
Etymology
Origin of obliterate
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin oblitterātus “effaced,” past participle of oblitterāre “to efface, cause to be forgotten,” equivalent to ob- ob- + litter(a) letter 1 + -āre, infinitive verb suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But now satellite images reveal that Iran is repairing the damage done, suggesting he didn’t obliterate the sites after all.
From Slate • Feb. 6, 2026
The way football is broadcast manages to obliterate any difference between an informal consumer and a face-painting fanatic.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
She does not obliterate herself, as Tár would demand — she frees herself.
From Salon • Mar. 12, 2025
It is strange to see how quickly trees and shrubs and stuff can obliterate stone walling.”
From BBC • Aug. 24, 2024
The earth covered them almost entirely; grass and meadow flowers had sprung up to obliterate them further and make them part of the mountain itself.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
