1
as in destroys
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shatters
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smashes
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demolishes
The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishes
Verb
-
After hundreds to thousands of years, the feeding black hole or neutron star falls into the stellar core and destroys it, creating a luminous emission.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
Federal debt destroys wealth and impedes economic growth.—
Rose Evans
May 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The other, from the southwest Khuzestan province, has a filling of dates, walnuts and coconut and pastry that shatters like a shell.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
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But the illusion shatters when a stranger on the street recognizes the dog… as HER boyfriend Danny’s dog.—
William Earl,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alas, Shao Khan smashes Cole’s head with a hammer, Gallagher style, and shoves his body into a vat of acid.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
-
Maybe a sleek ship is being chased by enemy fighters through a dense asteroid field, and one of them smashes into a massive space rock and is explosively atomized.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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But what happens if the Epstein-files story razes the entire forest, torching whatever trust is left in the political establishment, the Democratic Party very much included?—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The property’s main restaurant, Night Hawk, is Mediterranean, with cooking by open fire, a Greek ruins vibe and seating for about 150.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Having to fight and co-exist with those hell-bent on spewing lies and attention-grabbing hyperbole only clouds up the room, ruins the mood and takes away minutes from those who have been tackling real problems that truly need their government’s help.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The match started off hot with Slater and Alexander trading blows to begin the match.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Thirty years later, that daughter walks into a therapist’s office — and blows the cover off a landmine she was never meant to touch.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The fire devastates the area, burning down the couple's entire property.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
Florida’s citrus industry has been in a steady decline the past 25 years because of Huanglongbing (also known as HLB and citrus greening disease), a bacterial disease that devastates citrus trees.—
Jim Turner,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishes. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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