wipe out
Britishverb
-
(tr) to destroy completely; eradicate
-
informal (tr) to murder or kill
-
(intr) to fall or jump off a surfboard or skateboard
noun
-
an act or instance of wiping out
-
the interference of one radio signal by another so that reception is impossible
-
Destroy, as in The large chains are wiping out the independent bookstores . Originally put simply as wipe , the idiom acquired out in the first half of the 1800s.
-
Kill; also, murder. For example, The entire crew was wiped out in the plane crash , or The gangsters threatened to wipe him and his family out . [Late 1800s]
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.
“You’re losing to the house if you’re not paying your balance off,” Henderson said, as the interest charges will wipe out any value the points provide.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
Some companies said that AI could create new jobs over the next several years, but full implementation could also wipe out 30% or more of their existing roles.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
State revenue from income tax collection is higher than initially forecast, a boon that is expected to wipe out a projected deficit in the year ahead.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
"The one thing we can do is try and look after them when they're in the river, and the potential to wipe out next year's growth as a result of killing these smolts is massive."
From BBC • May 6, 2026
Maybe his pizza initiative would wipe out bullying and homework at Stirling Middle School.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
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.
