obliterate
/əbˈlɪtəɹeɪt/ · ob.li.t·e.rate
verb
- To remove completely, leaving no trace; to wipe out; to destroy. The earthquake obliterated the small village, leaving nothing but rubble behind.
- To erase or delete something completely, often from a digital or written record. The hacker's malware program was designed to obliterate all data on the infected computer's hard drive.
verb (transitive)
- To cause something to be completely forgotten or ignored. The scandal was quickly obliterated from public memory by the media's focus on other news stories.
verb (intransitive)
- To be completely destroyed or erased. The company's reputation was obliterated after the financial scandal broke.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Did you know? The word 'obliterate' has been used in various contexts, including literature and politics. For example, in George Orwell's novel '1984', the totalitarian government uses the term 'obliterate' to describe the process of erasing historical records and memories.