VANDALISM Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

vandalism

noun

ˈvan-də-ˌli-zəm

Definition of vandalism

as in vandalization

deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property anyone guilty of vandalism to university property will be expelled

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 vandalism According to the Folsom Police Department, officers impounded the e-moto because its rider — a juvenile — was the subject of an ongoing investigation into the June 23 vandalism of a car windshield at Palladio. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026 Multiple people have been arrested and cited for vandalism, including Hearn, who was on a bike ride before he was arrested on June 19. — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Sienna Hayes, 33, and Knorr Betcher, 28, were charged with eight counts of felony vandalism and possession of graffiti tools. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 1 July 2026 The power loss, a culmination of lightning strikes at various substations and a failure to control power output, led to widespread looting and vandalism amid social and economic unrest. — USA Today, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for vandalism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vandalism

Noun

Riverside has both a community center named for Chavez and a bronze statue — often the target of vandalization — on the Main Street pedestrian mall in the city’s downtown.

— Ryan Carter, Daily News, 19 Mar. 2026
Police said officers from the 116th Precinct had been alerted to the vandalization in the neighborhood and found 11 different police vehicles, both marked and unmarked, with damage.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025

Definition of vandalization

Noun

Rodríguez said authorities have recorded 862 aftershocks since the main quakes and confirmed that 189 buildings collapsed completely nationwide, the vast majority in La Guaira, the coastal state that suffered the worst destruction.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
Our previous card featured the fiery destruction of the Missouri Pacific depot in 1909.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 July 2026

Definition of destruction

Browse Nearby Words

vandal

vandalism

vandalization

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Vandalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vandalism. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of vandalism

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on vandalism

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

effulgence

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes