as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
a pretty sizable piece of real estate would be nuked if an asteroid struck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nuking
The moon briefly had a small chance of taking a hit from the asteroid during its close approach in 2032 – prompting one team of scientists to propose simply nuking the space rock.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
But there’s a cleverness to how AdHoc’s writing team has managed to give the player a sense of control without completely nuking the story.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Johnson raised concerns that nuking the filibuster could one day empower socialists, in an appearance on C-SPAN Thursday.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
However, nuking the asteroid could potentially create problems.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
But there’s a cleverness to how AdHoc’s writing team has managed to give the player a sense of control without completely nuking the story.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Johnson raised concerns that nuking the filibuster could one day empower socialists, in an appearance on C-SPAN Thursday.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
However, nuking the asteroid could potentially create problems.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuking
Verb
-
Back in 2023, the small drones started destroying any truck or van within several miles of the front, often in high-speed chases.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Anomalies then occurred during an engine relight sequence, destroying a significant part of the Superheavy aft and resulting in a loss of control.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
The work included demolishing one stand entirely to create the space required to facilitate those media demands.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
When sound came in, people were writing all these articles about how sound is ruining films.—
Andy Hazel,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
-
Dyckman’s sharing the top three outdoor decor trends that are ruining your space—plus, her favorite Amazon swaps to fix them, starting at $22.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
On 16 December 2021, typhoon Odette rang in a new chapter, wrecking the island and reducing much of the resort to rubble.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
-
The line was a wrecking crew that also managed to outscore the opposition.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The administration’s norm-shattering masks a more fundamental misunderstanding of how administrative power can bring about lasting change.—
Joshua M. Sharfstein,
STAT,
16 May 2026
-
At that price point, the home will likely become the most expensive home sold in Miami-Dade, shattering the record set by Zuckerberg earlier this year.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
-
Captiva Though the recovery isn’t totally complete, Captiva is bouncing back from both 2022’s devastating Hurricane Ian and the rough 2024 hurricane season.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Suarez was caught on surveillance camera smashing into the Volkswagen Jetta on Amsterdam Ave.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
-
Dwight reached out and squeezed my upper arm, pulling me into a bear hug, smashing my face against the rough canvas of his jacket, his gloved hand on my ass pulling me closer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuking. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
