as in destroys
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the hurricane ravaged the state and caused billions of dollars worth of damage
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Recent Examples of ravages
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Over time, toxins accumulate, and the genetic disorder ravages children’s organs, including their heart — and in many cases, their brain, leading to dementia-like symptoms.
—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
As of early Monday morning, nearly 150 flights at MIA had been impacted, and that's expected to increase as the winter storm ravages the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
—
February 23,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
The tall green trees pop against the clear blue sky, until a wildfire ravages the forest and changes Grainger’s life.
—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Published in 1842, Poe’s story follows Prince Prospero, who retreats with a group of nobles into a fortified abbey as a deadly plague ravages the countryside.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
This horror ravages Africa far beyond Nigeria.
—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
As extreme heat ravages New York City this summer, the lives of thousands detained on Rikers Island hang in the balance.
—
Darren MacK,
New York Daily News,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
Wildfire ravages Simi Valley as evacuations are underway.
—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Over time, toxins accumulate, and the genetic disorder ravages children’s organs, including their heart — and in many cases, their brain, leading to dementia-like symptoms.
—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
As of early Monday morning, nearly 150 flights at MIA had been impacted, and that's expected to increase as the winter storm ravages the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
—
February 23,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
The tall green trees pop against the clear blue sky, until a wildfire ravages the forest and changes Grainger’s life.
—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Published in 1842, Poe’s story follows Prince Prospero, who retreats with a group of nobles into a fortified abbey as a deadly plague ravages the countryside.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
This horror ravages Africa far beyond Nigeria.
—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
As extreme heat ravages New York City this summer, the lives of thousands detained on Rikers Island hang in the balance.
—
Darren MacK,
New York Daily News,
4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ravages
Verb
-
What starts as a series that aims to subvert the heist genre at every turn – amped with thrilling life-or-death stakes, family dynamics, and explosive action – gives birth to an exploration of what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.
-
Arrrives, destroys Femi and hands Main Event Jey the crown.
Noun
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As a reminder, the Mission San Juan Capistrano tour ends at the ruins of what’s now called the Great Stone Church, which collapsed in an 1812 earthquake that killed 40 Acjachemen worshippers.
-
The engineer flew in from Tampa to try and find her mother, sister, brother-in-law and nephew in the ruins of their nine-story apartment building, sleeping on the ground since arriving two nights ago.
Verb
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So when the dog is lost in a severe storm that devastates the region and leaves many homeless, an overwhelmed Rose must balance the urgency of her search mission alongside the misfortune of others close to her.
-
Withholding effective treatment for chronic disease devastates lives and drives up healthcare costs.
Noun
-
These attempts to keep down the unquiet dead were, besides being desecrations, exercises in a lot of heavy and often forbidden labor done on decaying bodies.
-
The idea that Watkins was an enabler of Gein’s murders and subsequent desecrations could be read merely as a part of the show’s aggressive and admitted mingling of fiction and reality.
Cite this Entry
“Ravages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ravages. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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