lay waste to

idiom

: to cause very bad damage to (something)

The fire laid waste to the land.

Examples of lay waste to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tactical nuclear weapons, as the term implies, are far smaller and less powerful than strategic nuclear armaments such as intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear payloads that could lay waste to large population centers. —

Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024 Expected to lay waste to the field, the Senna-Williams combination seemed almost cursed with multiple problems every week before the San Marino Grand Prix. —

David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024 Soon after, Shadowlands forces break through the Crab’s giant wall and start to lay waste to the country side. —

Rob Wieland, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Several blockbusters have already been moved off their 2024 release dates, as the strike continues to lay waste to the theatrical calendar. —

Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for lay waste to

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lay waste to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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“Lay waste to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay%20waste%20to. Accessed 23 Sep. 2024.

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