wipe out
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle out
Meanings
Destroy completely
Why “out”? Pushing outward to eliminate. What is removed is sent away.
“The flood wiped out the village.”
“The virus wiped out half the crop.”
Don't confuse with
Wipe out means destroy completely. Wipe down means clean a surface with a damp cloth.
Test yourself
“The flood wiped out the village.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
wipe down
A contrast learners often mix up
Clean a surface with a damp cloth
burn out
Same out pattern: removal
Become exhausted from overwork; (of a fire) Stop burning because there is no fuel left; (of an electrical device) Stop working because of overheating; Destroy a building or vehicle by fire
cash out
Same out pattern: removal
Take money from an account or investment
chuck out
Same out pattern: removal
Discard something
clean out
Same out pattern: removal
Remove the contents of a place and clean it thoroughly
clear out
Same out pattern: removal
Tidy by removing things you don't need
cross out
Same out pattern: removal
Mark for deletion
cut out
Same out pattern: removal
Remove by cutting; Stop eating, using, or doing something completely
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