as in destroying
to deliberately cause the damage or destruction of another's property
he decided to vandalize the store because the owner had kicked him out
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 vandalizing
In the finale, Laura crashes Daniel and Cherry’s engagement party, and Cherry is arrested for vandalizing Laura’s gallery.
—
Erin Jensen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
The display outside Kahn’s home follows a common theme of activists using red paint to protest the war by vandalizing buildings that host political figures, newspapers and other establishments.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Image Since then, mobs have arrived in neighborhoods where Hindus live, vandalizing temples and targeting homes.
—Saif Hasnat, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Some of the kids quickly get up to no good, vandalizing the graves of the Duttons.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 16 Dec. 2024
In Massachusetts, there is a law explicitly stating the punishment for vandalizing a carton of milk, which is a fine of $10.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2024
Dowell, 24, was previously arrested in January 2023 and pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and vandalizing a historic monument.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 19 Nov. 2024
Edgewood police are seeking information leading to the arrest of those responsible for vandalizing restrooms at President's Park.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2024
Erin Jensen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
The display outside Kahn’s home follows a common theme of activists using red paint to protest the war by vandalizing buildings that host political figures, newspapers and other establishments.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Image Since then, mobs have arrived in neighborhoods where Hindus live, vandalizing temples and targeting homes.
—Saif Hasnat, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Some of the kids quickly get up to no good, vandalizing the graves of the Duttons.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 16 Dec. 2024
In Massachusetts, there is a law explicitly stating the punishment for vandalizing a carton of milk, which is a fine of $10.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2024
Dowell, 24, was previously arrested in January 2023 and pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and vandalizing a historic monument.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 19 Nov. 2024
Edgewood police are seeking information leading to the arrest of those responsible for vandalizing restrooms at President's Park.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vandalizing
Verb
-
The military has also been targeting and destroying high-rise buildings surrounding displacement camps, crowding Gaza City’s residents into ever-smaller spaces.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Ultimately, North was found guilty of destroying official documents, accepting a home security system as a gift and obstructing Congress in 1989.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stringer/Sputnik via AP What To Know Broadly desecration of a flag refers to any action that damages or disrespects it—such as burning it, urinating or defecating on it, defacing it, stepping on it, damaging it with stones or bullets, cutting or ripping it and many others.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
An image taken on August 19 shows Israeli excavators and bulldozers demolishing buildings in Zeitoun.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
About 90% of the former Spring Hill Mall is gone and work demolishing the final anchor store set to begin in the next couple of weeks, officials said.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
From the Luddites smashing looms in 19th-century England to autoworkers walking out over the introduction of robots to the factory floor in the 1980s, resistance has flared before either being crushed or subsiding, giving way to the new economies and social orders the technologies ushered in.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The 40th anniversary of John Farnham’s record-smashing 1986 album Whispering Jack will be celebrated with a new musical.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Car designers love them for not ruining the lines of the door with the necessities of real life, but is the benefit from drag reduction worth the safety risk?—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
10 Sep. 2025
-
And broadcasting your irritation too loudly risks ruining the atmosphere for everyone else just as much as their yelling or off-key chants.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Delpit's trash talk before the game is not the lone instance of a Browns player trashing the Ravens prior to Sunday's game.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Separately, but related, Baldoni’s former publicist Stephanie Jones is suing Baldoni, Nathan and publicist Jennifer Abel for trashing her reputation.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The bill will force cities in large counties in the state to allow projects on properties within one-half mile of certain transit stops, even on land that is not zoned for residential use, or face a fine for violating state law.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
San Diego City Councilmember Jennifer Campbell has admitted violating city record-keeping rules during her 2022 re-election campaign and agreed to pay a $300 fine to resolve the case brought by the San Diego Ethics Commission.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
China has rejected the accusation and accused the Philippines of damaging the coral reef ecosystem in the waterway instead.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
-
To get a much clearer look at its fine details and avoid damaging the specimen, the research team used highly powerful synchrotron CT scans from facilities in France and the UK.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vandalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vandalizing. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share