as in destroyed
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1
as in ravaged
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ruined
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the explosion devastated an entire city block
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
we were devastated by the awful news of his death
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devastated
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Standing outside her Brooklyn home on Friday, a devastated Wright struggled to understand how the driver who hit her child could be so uncaring.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Brian Mann, NPR, 14 May 2026
The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
Adjective
That section of town, which would end up among the most devastated, never received an evacuation warning.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Standing outside her Brooklyn home on Friday, a devastated Wright struggled to understand how the driver who hit her child could be so uncaring.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
Sarah Konwahahawi Herne was devastated.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 14 May 2026
The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastated
Verb
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The Kings were ravaged by injuries to a number of key players, forcing coach Doug Christie to deploy 35 different starting lineups.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
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Pursued by legendary lawman Pat Garrett and his ambitious young deputy, Ross takes refuge at a remote homestead ravaged by diphtheria.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The Santa Rosa Island Fire, which was reported on May 15, has surpassed 10,000 acres and destroyed two historic structures, according to authorities.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
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Forecasters said mobile homes may be damaged or destroyed, the weather service said.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
Verb
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One video from the scene showed a police officer overwhelmed by the crowd, and using pepper spray to control the mob.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
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That experience lead her to create Reale Actives, in hopes of making the treatment both aesthetically nicer than a lot of what's on the market, as well as simpler for those overwhelmed by all the treatment options.—
Beth Shapouri,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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His choices allow the viewer to drink in the intimate details of the ruined world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Set to shoot in Canada in 2027, the film stars Lutz as Genie, a professional runner whose life is shattered by an unwanted pregnancy and later transformed by a catastrophic accident that leaves her without both legs.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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In the Tri-Valley League, junior midfielder Greg Walsh shattered a school record with eight goals, as Westwood cruised to an 15-6 win over Norwood.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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The three adults on board — pilot Hernán Murcia, Indigenous leader Herman Mendoza Hernández and Magdalena — were found dead when Colombian soldiers located the wrecked plane two weeks after the crash.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
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In recent days, refugees have begun returning to wrecked villages and towns.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This caused immediate backlash, particularly as the East Wing was recently demolished during ongoing renovation work.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
16 May 2026
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There, on the Hudson River waterfront, David Wojnarowicz wrote poems and painted murals alongside Luis Frangella and Mike Bidlo, while Peter Hujar and Dirk Rowntree photographed scenes of impromptu happenings and performances, before the site was demolished in 1984.—
Natalia Torija,
Curbed,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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The buzz of drones above, and then gunfire, the woodland and damaged houses around suddenly alive with the Ukrainian troops hidden in them, firing at the skies.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
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More than half the field was involved in crashes during the first two segments, eliminating Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain and leaving Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson with damaged cars incapable of contending.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devastated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastated. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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