decimate
verb (used with object)
to kill or destroy a great number or proportion of.
decimating
-
present participleof decimate.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
Decades of offshoring affected the American apparel industry, decimating the profession.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
The rapper’s overhaul of the dwelling saw it reduced to little more than a concrete shell, decimating almost all of Ando’s original design—and leaving design lovers up in arms over its destruction.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 11, 2025
The unique Bandon initiative in the country's south could provide a model for tackling Ireland's biggest environmental dilemma: how to cut emissions on farms without drastically shrinking herds or decimating rural communities.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025
But when wasting disease in effect wiped out their main predator, the sea urchins exploded in number, decimating kelp forests and transforming once-lush underwater habitats into so-called urchin barrens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2025
Smallpox, measles, influenza, typhus, bubonic plague, and other infectious diseases endemic in Europe played a decisive role in European conquests, by decimating many peoples on other continents.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
