obliteration

American  

[uh-blit-uh-rey-shuhn] / əˌblɪt əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of obliterating or the state of being obliterated.

2. Pathology, Surgery. the removal of a part as a result of disease or surgery.

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Other Word Forms

• obliterative adjective

Etymology

Origin of obliteration

1650–60; < Latin oblitterātiōn- (stem of oblitterātiō ), equivalent to oblitterāt ( us ) ( obliterate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

The New York Knicks snapped their four-game losing streak with a record-breaking 120-66 obliteration of the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, the most lopsided victory in franchise history.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

These newcomers, however, have no stake in the comradely game’s continuation, and are in fact dedicated to its obliteration: They want to take the game’s money away.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Speaking at The Hague where he attended a Nato summit on Wednesday, Trump said of the strikes: "It was very severe. It was obliteration."

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2025

And an obliteration of this magnitude required a perfect storm of factors that few would have predicted several days ahead of time.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2025

And every fan couldn’t help but believe that the following week’s game would be little more than a continuation of the Cooper obliteration, only a thousand times more sweet.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger