extinguish
verb
ex·tin·guish
ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 
extinguished; extinguishing; extinguishes
1
a(1)
: to bring to an end : make an end of
hope for their safety was slowly extinguished
(2)
: to reduce to silence or ineffectiveness
b
: to cause to cease burning : quench
c
: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)
d
: to dim the brightness of : eclipse
2
a
: to cause to be void : nullify
extinguish a claim
b
: to get rid of usually by payment
extinguish a debt
Examples of extinguish in a Sentence
The fire department was called in to extinguish the blaze.
He extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray.
They ruthlessly extinguished all resistance.
News of the conflict extinguished our hopes for a peaceful resolution.
Recent Examples on the Web
Firefighters forced the box open and extinguished the fire, a spokesperson for the department said.
—
Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 24 Oct. 2024
The unburned tankers tried to extinguish the fire consuming their comrade—but then the tank exploded.
—David Axe, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
But the ending of The Platform 2 extinguishes that hope in a rather withering way.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said the fires combined burned less than 1 acre of wildland and were quickly extinguished.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for extinguish 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 24 Oct. 2024
The unburned tankers tried to extinguish the fire consuming their comrade—but then the tank exploded.
—David Axe, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
But the ending of The Platform 2 extinguishes that hope in a rather withering way.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said the fires combined burned less than 1 acre of wildland and were quickly extinguished.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for extinguish
Dictionary Entries Near extinguish
Cite this Entry
“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinguish. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
extinguish
verb
ex·tin·guish
ik-ˈstiŋ-gwish
1
: to cause to stop burning
2
: to cause to die out
extinguisher
noun
Medical Definition
extinguish
transitive verb
ex·tin·guish
ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish
: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)
extinguish an avoidance response
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share