Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cause (a fire, light, or flame) to stop burning or shining: To put out or quench something that is burning or emitting light.
   • To end or destroy something, often completely: To eliminate, terminate, or bring to an end a condition, feeling, or existence.
   • To obscure or eclipse something: To make something appear dull or insignificant by comparison.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • Please extinguish all candles before leaving the room.
  • The fire department worked for hours to extinguish the blaze.
  • The new policy aims to extinguish corruption within the organization.
  • Her brilliant performance extinguished any doubts about her talent.

Advanced Usage

• "to extinguish a debt": To pay off a debt completely, eliminating the obligation.
  • He sold his car to extinguish his remaining debt.
• "to extinguish hope": To destroy all hope or optimism.
  • The failed peace talks extinguished hope for a swift resolution.
• "to extinguish a right" (Legal): To nullify or cancel a legal right or claim.
  • The contract clause could extinguish the tenant's right to renew.

Variants and Related Words

• Extinguishable (adj): Capable of being extinguished.
  • The fire was small and easily extinguishable.
• Extinguisher (n): A device for putting out fires, especially a portable one.
  • Every kitchen should have a fire extinguisher.
• Extinguishment (n): The act of extinguishing or the state of being extinguished.
  • The extinguishment of the ancient tradition saddened the elders.

Synonyms

• Quench: To put out (a fire) or satisfy (a thirst).
• Douse: To drench or extinguish with liquid.
• Annihilate: To destroy utterly.
• Obliterate: To remove all traces of; to wipe out.
• Suppress: To forcibly put an end to.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Snuff out: To extinguish a flame by pinching or covering it; to end something abruptly.
  • He snuffed out the candle with his fingers.
  • The dictator's regime snuffed out political dissent.
• Stub out: To extinguish a cigarette or cigar by pressing the burning end against a surface.
  • He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

Related Idioms

• To extinguish the light of: To kill or destroy someone or something precious.
  • The war extinguished the light of a generation.
• To extinguish a spark before it becomes a flame: To stop a problem when it is still small, before it grows.
  • Good managers extinguish conflicts before they escalate.

Verb

1. kill in large numbers
   • the plague wiped out an entire population
2. terminate, end, or take out
   • Let's eliminate the course on Akkadian hieroglyphics
   • Socialism extinguished these archaic customs
   • eliminate my debts
3. extinguish by crushing
   • stub out your cigar
4. 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
5. put an end to; kill
   • The Nazis snuffed out the life of many Jewish children