"Nuking" is a term used to describe the action of destroying all, or almost all, cards on the field. The first known card with a "Nuking" effect was "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End", whose effect was used to clear the field to prepare for an OTK, known as the Chaos Emperor Dragon OTK. Other cards that destroy all cards on the field are "Black Rose Dragon", "Demise, King of Armageddon" (who also had an OTK, the Demise/Doom OTK), "Sky Scourge Norleras", "Gandora the Dragon of Destruction", "Final Destiny", "Ocean Dragon Lord - Neo-Daedalus", "Judgment Dragon" and "Steelswarm Hercules".
Partial-Nuking
There are also cards that destroy a portion of the field, like "Dark Hole", "Torrential Tribute", "Grand Convergence", and "Heavy Storm". These effects, though not quite as powerful, can still mean game for anyone who plays them correctly. There are also two cards that focus on destroying cards on the opponent's side of the field like "Raigeki", and "Harpie's Feather Duster", both of which were considered too powerful and were Forbidden in the Advanced Format. But before that, "Anti Raigeki", and "Gryphon Wing" were created so that players could counter these cards. There was also a card created to counter Dark Hole, known as "White Hole". Some players also believe that "Dark Armed Dragon" was able to "nuke" the field, because of his easy Summoning Conditions and powerful effect. "DAD" has been limited, because of the tremendous power of Tele-DAD Decks.
Counters
There are ways to counter when your opponent tries to nuke the field. Methods include "Divine Wrath", "Stardust Dragon", "Starlight Road", "Destruction Jammer", and "My Body as a Shield". There are also cards that give the player an advantage when added to the hand and summoned on the field, while there are no cards in the hand or on the field, like "Elemental Hero Bubbleman", "Infernity Archfiend", and "Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight". An empty hand or field also leaves some archetypes like the Infernities at an advantage.
Card Nuking
The term "Card Nuking" can be used to symbolize a card(s) or archtype that has been hit hard on the Limit/Ban List. For example, Blackwings on March 1, 2011 were hit hard enough to make many take apart their Blackwing decks.