exterminate
verb (used with object)
to get rid of by destroying; destroy totally; extirpate.
exterminated
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past participleof exterminate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof exterminate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
exterminateverb (used with object)to get rid of by destroying; destroy totally; extirpate.
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.
Within about 50 years, the crocodiles had been completely exterminated.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026
Along with the passenger pigeon we exterminated the great auk, the Carolina parakeet, the Labrador duck and the ivory-billed woodpecker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
Live mosquitoes will be exterminated using ultraviolet light.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025
She heads a group of mostly women who are working hive by hive to relocate bees that would be exterminated if they remained in Mexico’s crowded capital city.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2023
“No, Scout, those ragged ignorant people fought until they were nearly exterminated to maintain something that these days seems to be the sole privilege of artists and musicians.”
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
