raze

verb

ˈrāz 

razed; razing

transitive verb

1

: to destroy to the ground : demolish

raze an old building

2

a

: to scrape, cut, or shave off

b

archaic : erase

razer noun

Synonyms

• annihilate
• cream
• decimate
• demolish
• desolate
• destroy
• devastate
• do in
• extinguish
• nuke
• pull down
• pulverize
• rub out
• ruin
• shatter
• smash
• tear down
• total
• vaporize
• waste
• wrack
• wreck

Examples of raze in a Sentence

an entire city block razed by a terrible fire

the developer razed the old school building and built a high-rise condominium complex

Recent Examples on the Web

The site includes a Chevron station, several restaurants, a tattoo shop and a strip retail center, all of which would be razed to develop the new building on the site. —Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 5 Dec. 2024

To assemble the properties, Disney razed City Winery (which before that was another media center, the home of El Diario/La Prensa) and a full block of low-rise commercial buildings, but a 2013 rezoning precluded replacing them with a single glittering glass stalagmite. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 Dec. 2024

It was initially rumored that Grande and Gomez might raze the existing three-bedroom, two-bathroom structure to build a new marital home together, but the pair divorced in 2023 and the house remained untouched. —Joyce Chen, Architectural Digest, 26 Nov. 2024

In 2019, the cottage faced an uncertain future as the new owners of the land at 239 Franklin Road, where it was then located, appeared interested in razing the cottage to make space for new construction. —Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of rase

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

raze

verb

ˈrāz 

razed; razing

: to destroy completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces : demolish

razed the building