wipeout

1 of 2

noun

wipe·out ˈwīp-ˌau̇t

: the act or an instance of wiping out : complete or utter destruction

: a fall or crash caused usually by losing control

: a total or decisive defeat : drubbing

wipe out

2 of 2

verb

wiped out; wiping out; wipes out

transitive verb

: to destroy completely : annihilate

intransitive verb

: to fall or crash usually as a result of losing control

Example Sentences

Noun The surfer had a nasty wipeout. Verb he didn't get his gambling under control until he had already wiped out his entire life savings

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The ultimate amplification of that swirls around the cases for and against slugger Barry Bonds and wipeout pitcher Roger Clemens.

Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2022 For comparison, in 2018, which was generally reported as a wipeout for the Republicans and a repudiation of President Trump, the two-party swing was about 9.5 points.

Gerard Baker, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2022 While some Democrats feared a midterm wipeout would weaken him on the world stage, top White House aides say the relatively successful outcome should be a boost.

Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2022 That wipeout came from a perfect storm derived from political, pandemic and economic woes in China.

Justin Doebele, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022 This is a game that Republicans have been playing since the 1970s, culminating in a 2010 wipeout that flipped 20 chambers around the country to GOP control and gave the party the power to redraw state maps.

Time, 3 Oct. 2022 Among other upper levels Red Sox starters, lefthander Brandon Walter probably has the highest ceiling, with a wipeout slider along with a nasty sinker and changeup from the low arm slot to give hitters fits.

Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Sep. 2022 Second-year coach, second-round quarterback, a 2021 wild-card round wipeout to the Buccaneers….I had my hesitations.

Jason Gay, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2022 None of these recommendations will save you from bitter disappointment if 2022 turns out to be a wipeout year for the Democrats.

Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 25 Oct. 2022

Verb

On Wednesday, the council of Toledo approved a proposal giving $800,000 to wipe out the medical debt of its residents.

Alena Botros, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2022 Instead, the Phillies feasted in their second look at him, with two-run doubles from Alec Bohm and Realmuto in the fourth and fifth to wipe out a 5-0 deficit forged almost entirely on Tucker’s two home runs.

Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2022 But some of the borrowers took advantage of the two-plus years of optional, interest-free payments to wipe out their debt entirely.

Julia Carpenter, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2022 The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the program would wipe out around $430 billion of the $1.6 trillion in outstanding federal student loans.

Jacob Gershman, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2022 But their execution didn't wipe out the Romanov bloodline entirely; their modern relatives include members of British royal family, including King Charles and Princes William and Harry.

Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, 13 Nov. 2022 More on Manual Transmissions Even if Honda doesn't plan to adopt similar solutions, fans of the clutch pedal need not panic that Honda’s transition to an all-EV lineup will wipe out the stick-shifts overnight.

Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 2 Nov. 2022 The Biden administration announced in August a sweeping, one-time loan forgiveness program that would wipe out thousands of dollars in federal direct loan debt.

Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2022 Tap or click for an easy way to wipe out dozens with a few clicks.

Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wipeout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.