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Exterminate vs Cleanse - What's the difference?

exterminate | cleanse |

In transitive terms the difference between exterminate and cleanse

is that exterminate is to kill all of a population, usually deliberate and especially applied to pests while cleanse is to spiritually purify; to free from sin or guilt; to purge.

exterminate

English

Verb

(exterminat)
  • To kill all of a population, usually deliberate and especially applied to pests.
    • We'll use poison to exterminate the rats.
  • (figuratively) To bring a definite end to, finish completely. A rather strong word that implies that what has been ended won't resurface.
    • Even a mass birching at the public school failed to exterminate truancy.

    Synonyms

    * (to kill all) annihilate, eradicate, extermine, uproot * (to bring an end to) stamp out * See also

    Derived terms

    * extermination * exterminative * exterminator * exterminatory

    Related terms

    * terminate * termination * terminator

    cleanse

    English

    Verb

    (cleans)
  • To free from dirt; to clean, purify.
  • *{{quote-magazine, title=A better waterworks, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838
    • , page=5 (Technology Quarterly), magazine=(The Economist) citation , passage=An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine.}}
  • To spiritually purify; to free from sin or guilt; to purge.

    • Anagrams

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