extinguish
verb
ex·tin·guish ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish 
extinguished; extinguishing; extinguishes
transitive verb
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
extinguishable
ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shə-bəl
adjective extinguisher
ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wi-shər
noun extinguishment
ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish-mənt
noun 
Synonyms
- blanket
- douse
- dowse
- put out
- quench
- snuff (out)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 probably will spend the next seven days working to extinguish the fire, Mecham said. 
San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Khan said Wednesday that while calls flooded in a day earlier, firefighters were already working to extinguish blazes all over the city, some of which required as many as 30 fire trucks. Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 20 July 2022 The department said on Twitter at 1:10 p.m. that companies were working to extinguish a fire that broke out at 107 Jersey St. Grace Gilson, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2022 Firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze, which was located near North First Street and Highway 237, San Jose Fire Department officials said on Twitter. Lauren Hernández, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 June 2022 Hundreds of firefighters have been working across several regions including Zamora and Valencia to extinguish burning flames. Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 20 June 2022 Crews are working towards the interior to extinguish remaining pockets of heat. Haleigh Kochanski, The Arizona Republic, 8 May 2022 Firefighters were working to extinguish a condo fire south of Midtown Anchorage on Friday evening, an Anchorage Fire Department official said. Anchorage Daily News, 30 Apr. 2022 The sites were all severely damaged, Kozytskiy said, with emergency services working to extinguish ongoing fires. NBC News, 18 Apr. 2022 See More
San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Khan said Wednesday that while calls flooded in a day earlier, firefighters were already working to extinguish blazes all over the city, some of which required as many as 30 fire trucks. Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 20 July 2022 The department said on Twitter at 1:10 p.m. that companies were working to extinguish a fire that broke out at 107 Jersey St. Grace Gilson, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2022 Firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze, which was located near North First Street and Highway 237, San Jose Fire Department officials said on Twitter. Lauren Hernández, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 June 2022 Hundreds of firefighters have been working across several regions including Zamora and Valencia to extinguish burning flames. Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 20 June 2022 Crews are working towards the interior to extinguish remaining pockets of heat. Haleigh Kochanski, The Arizona Republic, 8 May 2022 Firefighters were working to extinguish a condo fire south of Midtown Anchorage on Friday evening, an Anchorage Fire Department official said. Anchorage Daily News, 30 Apr. 2022 The sites were all severely damaged, Kozytskiy said, with emergency services working to extinguish ongoing fires. NBC News, 18 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin exstinguere (from ex- + stinguere to extinguish) + English -ish (as in abolish); akin to Latin instigare to incite — more at stick
First Known Use
circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Kids Definition
extinguish
verb
ex·tin·guish ik-ˈstiŋ-gwish
extinguished; extinguishing
1
: to cause to stop burning
2
: to cause to die out
More bad news extinguished all hope.
Medical Definition
extinguish
transitive verb
ex·tin·guish ik-ˈstiŋ-(g)wish
: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response)
extinguish an avoidance response
Legal Definition
extinguish
transitive verb
ex·tin·guish
1
: to cause the nonexistence of : do away with
2
: to cause (as a claim or right) to be void : nullify
3
: to get rid of (a debt or other liability) by payment or other compensatory adjustment
extinguish
verb
1
as in to douse
to cause to cease burning the fire in the skillet was quickly extinguished by slamming the lid on Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- douse
- quench
- choke
- blanket
- dowse
- smother
- suffocate
- put out
- blow out
- stub
- snuff (out)
- rub out
- snub (out)
- stamp (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ignite
- fire
- light
- inflame
- kindle
- enflame
2
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of a fatal blunder that extinguished all hope that the team would actually win the play-offs Synonyms & Similar Words
- destroy
- demolish
- ruin
- shatter
- devastate
- wreck
- overcome
- smash
- damage
- annihilate
- vaporize
- waste
- decimate
- erode
- raze
- ravage
- pulverize
- nuke
- total
- dismantle
- kill
- subdue
- mar
- remove
- pull down
- tear down
- defeat
- wrack
- desolate
- cripple
- cream
- crush
- eradicate
- injure
- break
- conquer
- rub out
- blast
- impair
- dissolve
- disintegrate
- best
- harm
- obliterate
- surmount
- lick
- spoil
- do in
- master
- trim
- extirpate
- trounce
- expunge
- exterminate
- clobber
- vitiate
- deteriorate
- disfigure
- undo
- dynamite
- mutilate
- scotch
- liquidate
- whip
- rout
- thrash
- efface
- beat
- mangle
- assassinate
- overbear
- blow up
- slay
- disassemble
- deface
- skunk
- wash out
- scour
- wipe out
- overmatch
- unmake
- plunder
- execute
- drub
- slaughter
- wallop
- zap
- trample
- murder
- despoil
- blot out
- fell
- pillage
- sack
- take down
- dispatch
- kill off
- prevail (over)
- cut down
- loot
- vandalize
- gut
- dilapidate
- triumph (over)
- massacre
- sweep (away)
- unbuild
- trash
- win (against)
- havoc
- wear (away)
- take out
- butcher
- snuff (out)
- mow (down)
- stamp (out)
- root (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- build
- construct
- create
- raise
- erect
- repair
- fix
- produce
- set up
- establish
- invent
- make
- rear
- protect
- patch
- preserve
- form
- found
- manufacture
- constitute
- assemble
- mend
- forge
- save
- organize
- shape
- conserve
- fabricate
- restore
- put up
- mold
- bring about
- recondition
- revamp
- rebuild
- frame
- reconstruct
- institute
- fashion
- doctor
- renovate
- father
- remodel
3
as in to shush
to stop the noise or speech of her final, telling point extinguished her opponents on the city council Synonyms & Similar Words
- shush
- silence
- quell
- mute
- settle
- still
- quiet
- squelch
- hush
- shut up
- dumb
- quieten
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- stir
- agitate