Destructive interference refers to a situation in which two or more waves interact with each other and produce a resultant wave that has a lower amplitude than the individual waves that combined to produce it. There are several different synonyms that can be used to describe this phenomenon, including canceling out, nullifying, quenching, and dampening. Each of these terms accurately captures the essence of destructive interference, which is that when two waves are combined in this way, they actually work against each other and counteract the effects of one another. This can be observed in various contexts, such as acoustics, optics, and electromagnetic waves.