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
Arkansas Online, 30 Dec. 2025
No one was more devastated than owner and performer, D'Arcy Drollinger.
—Kara St. Cyr, CBS News, 26 Dec. 2025
Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
The breakdown in trust over the reports has devastated both princesses.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
Adjective
The Gaza deal is in danger of stalling before reaching its complicated second phase that would involve naming an international governing body and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Dec. 2025
No one was more devastated than owner and performer, D'Arcy Drollinger.
—Kara St. Cyr, CBS News, 26 Dec. 2025
Verb
Tran’s grieving 35-year-old daughter said at the time her family was devastated.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
The breakdown in trust over the reports has devastated both princesses.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastated
Verb
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The Niners were ravaged by injuries this past season, losing the services of some of pro football’s best players.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
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For over a millennium, measles have ravaged humanity.—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 5,
Futurism,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The storm that destroyed the home of Shaun and Karen Powers hit three months after the phone call that put an end to Coppermark’s strategy of flooding the insurance department with complaints.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
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The Talmud teaches that Jerusalem was destroyed not only because of hatred, but because of sinat chinam, baseless hatred fueled by moral absolutism.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This administration hasn't necessarily overwhelmed the health-care experts with good news.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
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Alex Andrews added 12 points and the Cougars overwhelmed the Aztecs inside with Miles, Jacob Allen and Trevor Zenno.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 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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Even the random animals — birds, deer, dogs, cats and, at one point, a peacock — the director encounters on her journeys around Negev seem to be shattered by years of bombing.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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Pim Neill, a 6-year-old girl from Pittsburgh, shattered the Pennsylvania state record by selling more than 81,000 boxes of cookies, the most ever sold in a single season.—
Josh Taylor,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The 14-year-old and the 25-year-old climbed out of the wrecked car, saw a man recording on their phone, and assaulted him, taking away the phone.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The driver then got out of the wrecked vehicle and fled on foot, police said.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Damaged beyond repair, the building was permanently closed and later demolished.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
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After the closure of Toni’s Italian Restaurant’s Olathe location last year, city planning documents show the restaurant’s former building will soon be demolished alongside a handful of other buildings, as the city gears up for an ambitious overhaul of East Santa Fe Street.—
Kendrick Calfee
Updated February 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At the same time, the bond-building treatment creates a protective barrier around each strand, helping to restore damaged hair and improve its integrity over time.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
9 Feb. 2026
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Sort out broken and damaged items and dispose of them or find a way to upcycle them at home.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devastated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastated. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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