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
Since then, helicopters have been performing water drops, and water tender truckers arrived to help extinguish the blaze, according to fire rescue.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025
Trains were held in place while crews worked to extinguish the track blaze, and service resumed shortly before 9 a.m.
During the outage, only one branch of the PATH network — service from Hoboken to 33rd St. in Manhattan — remained in operation.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 8 May 2025
This time, Sauer played the role of high-leverage reliever, getting a double-play and strikeout to extinguish the threat.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
The flames were extinguished, but the homes sustained structural damage.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 4 May 2025
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.
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025
Trains were held in place while crews worked to extinguish the track blaze, and service resumed shortly before 9 a.m.
During the outage, only one branch of the PATH network — service from Hoboken to 33rd St. in Manhattan — remained in operation.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 8 May 2025
This time, Sauer played the role of high-leverage reliever, getting a double-play and strikeout to extinguish the threat.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
The flames were extinguished, but the homes sustained structural damage.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for extinguish
Cite this Entry
“Extinguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extinguish. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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