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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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
In January 2025, a video posted on social media showed a building being demolished in the southern part of the village.
—
Kerem Inal, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025
Jefferson County has also asked District Court Judge Meegan Miloud to order Phillips to pay a $100 fine and either finish cleaning up the house at her own expense or demolish it.
—Max Levy, Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2025
The city never demolished the building.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2025
But South Dakota State hasn’t seen anything quite like the Huskies, who demolished 15-seed Arkansas State 103-34 in their first-round matchup on Saturday.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Kerem Inal, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025
Jefferson County has also asked District Court Judge Meegan Miloud to order Phillips to pay a $100 fine and either finish cleaning up the house at her own expense or demolish it.
—Max Levy, Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2025
The city never demolished the building.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2025
But South Dakota State hasn’t seen anything quite like the Huskies, who demolished 15-seed Arkansas State 103-34 in their first-round matchup on Saturday.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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More than half a dozen tornadoes have been confirmed, including one in Marshall County, Oklahoma, that left two homes completely destroyed and damaged about 20 others.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Fans of the franchise will remember that the Battle of Exegol was the climactic showdown between the Resistance and the First Order, which ended with the Sith being destroyed once and for all.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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There is nothing that can ruin trying to sleep through a redeye like the sunrise hitting your face.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Public trust has been shattered, and a change was needed so the system can begin to rebuild.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2025
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Tobias is shattered by the negative response, but Gabin’s aggression doesn’t do anything to pull Tobias together.—
Oliver Sava,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As of 2023, the houses had been razed but nothing had been built on the land.—
Mackenzie Farkus,
Christian Science Monitor,
23 Apr. 2025
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The earth has been razed bare as a result of deforestation, which has also weakened the soil layers that were washed away during the rainy season.—
Gwendolina Duval,
Vogue,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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At first, Tyrion's owner was devastated with her dog's diagnosis.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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The loss has brought yet another heartbreak for the Townsend family, stemming from the mass shooting that devastated this suburban Denver community 26 years ago.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Red Sox first baseman smashed his second three-run homer in two nights in an 8-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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In the past half decade, whole strata of this intricate New York support system have been smashed.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The cops also seized his cellphone and tore apart his home of two years, wrecking his recording setup in the process.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
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As many little heartbeats as possible, just running around, wrecking stuff in the house.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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April 17, 2025 The wind gusts could blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may occur, the National Weather Service advised.—
Ashley Fredde,
Idaho Statesman,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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