Extinguish (Verb)
Meaning 1
Put an end to; kill; "The Nazis snuffed out the life of many Jewish children".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The war efforts aimed to extinguish the enemy's will to fight and bring a swift end to the conflict.
- Rumors spread quickly and began to extinguish the flame of hope that had fueled their resistance for so long.
- Harsh economic sanctions threatened to extinguish the struggling nation's economy once and for all.
- The politician's scandalous actions were expected to extinguish her chances of re-election.
- Historians have long studied the ways in which totalitarian regimes seek to extinguish dissenting voices within their societies.
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Meaning 2
Put out, as of fires, flames, or lights; "Too big to be extinguished at once, the forest fires at best could be contained"; "quench the flames"; "snuff out the candles".
Classification
Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering.
Examples
- The firefighters made a valiant effort to extinguish the massive blaze engulfing the old warehouse.
- After several hours of battling the flames, the team finally managed to extinguish the fire that had ravaged the small town.
- It took all the water they had on board to extinguish the engine fire that threatened to destroy the entire ship.
- In this situation, it's crucial to remain calm and try to extinguish the flames before they spread to the rest of the house.
- The candles on the dinner table must be extinguished before we leave the room to avoid any potential fires.
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Meaning 3
Terminate, end, or take out; "Let's eliminate the course on Akkadian hieroglyphics"; "Socialism extinguished these archaic customs"; "eliminate my debts".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The new government policy aimed to extinguish the practice of child labor in the manufacturing industry.
- Years of drought eventually extinguished the once-thriving oasis in the desert.
- The introduction of modern transportation systems helped extinguish the use of horses for commuting.
- The massive wildfires finally began to extinguish after several days of rainfall in the affected areas.
- The charity organization worked tirelessly to extinguish homelessness in the city by providing affordable housing options.
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Meaning 4
Extinguish by crushing; "stub out your cigar".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- She carefully extinguished the flame by gently blowing on the match head and then crushing it under her shoe.
- In order to put out his cigar he extinguished it by stubbing it out against the ashtray.
- The waiter rushed over to assist in extinguishing the flaming dessert by gently crushing the flames with the plate.
- Using a gentle touch, Emma extinguished the smoldering joint by rolling it under the palm of her hand to stub it out.
- Once he finished his cigar, he extinguished it by grinding it into the bottom of the ashtray to make sure it wouldn't start a fire.
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Meaning 5
Kill in large numbers; "the plague wiped out an entire population".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- Overhunting threatens to extinguish many species of animals in the wild.
- The disease has been known to extinguish entire communities in areas with poor healthcare.
- Climate change is feared to extinguish polar bears due to melting sea ice habitats.
- It is predicted that the combination of pollution and neglect will extinguish most of the remaining coral reefs by 2050.
- The massive earthquake extinction wave is likely going to extinguish all existing life on the island within a short period.