1
as in to destroy
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
developers demolished the old warehouse to make room for the new shopping mall
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the buildings in the town had been demolished in the bombing raid
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
terrorists used a powerful pipe bomb to demolish the concrete wall around the compound
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demolish
It has since been demolished, and the new larger home is finished.
—
Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 18 July 2025
The $250 million bond allowed the city to stabilize or demolish thousands of blighted homes across the city's seven districts, using local contractors for the majority of the work.
—Dana Afana, Freep.com, 18 July 2025
Last August, the airport demolished the Steele Creek Presbyterian Manse.
—Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025
Before installing the temporary station, the city will need to demolish some of the buildings on the property.
—Miami Herald, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 18 July 2025
The $250 million bond allowed the city to stabilize or demolish thousands of blighted homes across the city's seven districts, using local contractors for the majority of the work.
—Dana Afana, Freep.com, 18 July 2025
Last August, the airport demolished the Steele Creek Presbyterian Manse.
—Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025
Before installing the temporary station, the city will need to demolish some of the buildings on the property.
—Miami Herald, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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In return, he was allowed to effectively destroy a nature site of great conservation value.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
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Trump also is destroying the Games’ potential upside.—
Joe Mathews,
Mercury News,
25 July 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
1 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile in Trier, Germany’s oldest city, Roman ruins, such as the Porta Nigra and imperial baths, blend seamlessly with baroque palaces and centuries-old scholarly libraries.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Keenan’s only injuries were from the car’s shattered glass, but Denaro was shot five times and needed a metal plate to replace a part of his skull, which was shattered by the bullets.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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That sense of serenity was shattered Monday when a man stormed the Midtown building with an assault rifle and unleashed a hailstorm of bullets, killing three people in the lobby.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Entire neighborhoods have been razed to the ground and tens of thousands of civilians killed amid the fighting.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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In 2016, the U.S. military initiated a campaign to root out ISIS from Mosul, Iraq, which killed about five thousand militants and twice as many civilians; the fighting ended up razing a city of two million people.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Not only has its air defense infrastructure suffered badly in the confrontations with Israel, but its regional proxies and allies – Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria – have either been devastated by Israel or collapsed altogether.—
Linggong Kong,
The Conversation,
22 July 2025
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Today, disaster seekers pack tours through New Orleans neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina two decades ago, and visitors continue to flock to Galveston to see the legacy of a hurricane that killed thousands more than a century earlier.—
Lila Hempel-Edgers
July 22,
Charlotte Observer,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Abraham Toro led off the fifth with a single against Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson, Anthony drew a walk and Alex Bregman smashed a three-run homer to put the Red Sox ahead 3-2.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
29 July 2025
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What no one knew at the time was the right engine of the plane had smashed into the elevator shaft, crashing down and severing cables on its way.—
Susan Young,
People.com,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Some drugs, particularly antibiotics, can wreck the gut microbiome fast.—
Avery Hurt,
Discover Magazine,
30 July 2025
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The New York Post reported that teams were reaching out to the Mets about Blackburn in June, before a spate of injuries temporarily wrecked New York’s starting depth.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
Verb
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In other words, keep up or watch your competition blow past you.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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Bednar allowed a solo homer, a double, and a pair of singles to blow the lead for the Yankees.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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