nuking

verb

present participle of nuke
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

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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 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 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 However, nuking the asteroid could potentially create problems. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuking
  1. destroying
  2. demolishing
  3. ruining
  4. wrecking
  5. shattering
  6. devastating
  7. smashing
Verb
  • Or tech companies forcing regular people to foot the electricity bills for their environment-destroying data centers!
    — Rebekah Taussig, Time, 7 July 2026
  • Many older interceptor missiles use blast-fragmentation warheads, detonating near the incoming missile and destroying it with high-speed metal fragments.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • Djokovic put in a masterful performance against a player who had gone in as many people’s favorite after demolishing the champion of two years earlier, Andy Murray, in the semifinals.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • The redevelopment plan involves demolishing a section of the existing shopping center to accommodate a new 47,000-square-foot Publix grocery store.
    — Catherine Muccigrosso July 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026
Definition of demolishing
Verb
  • After all, plenty of cocktail enthusiasts already complain about mosquitoes ruining a summer evening.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
    — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of ruining
Verb
  • The blaze remained confined to the wrecking yard property, despite briefly jumping a fence and igniting vegetation to the west.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
  • The good news is that dermatologists and makeup artists have figured out how to keep your SPF topped up without wrecking your foundation, blush or setting spray.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
Definition of wrecking
Verb
  • SoCal’s housing market growth SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has unleashed a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of shattering
Verb
  • The co-writer thing was a total disaster, devastating on every level.
    — Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • One week after devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, relief efforts in South Florida continue at a steady pace.
    — Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • Djokovic became so frustrated that he was given a code violation warning for smashing a racket, before eventually hauling himself over the line.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan joined in the fun Friday, serving and smashing with a paddle in a San Jose Earthquakes jersey.
    — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Definition of smashing

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Cite this Entry

“Nuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuking. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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