How to Use devastating in a Sentence

devastating

adjective
  • For decades, her grieving family was left with no answers and a devastating desire for the truth.
    Alaa Elassar, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The best videos, however, involve a bit of spice, with suspects literally stopped in their tracks by the power of a devastating truth.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • After a devastating fire in 1991, the proceeds of these concerts helped rebuild parts of the castle.
    Paul Caputo, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
  • What is our responsibility today to the memory of this devastating event that took so long to be acknowledged?
    Peter Marks, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2023
  • To be sure, a layoff can be a devastating experience for an individual.
    Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2023
  • This was just devastating to have to deal with and go through.
    Bethany Levrier, Peoplemag, 4 June 2024
  • This is such a devastating loss of a huge life and Mike will be missed.
    Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 10 June 2023
  • And the range of the effects runs from near zero to devastating.
    Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
  • The scene of that break is among the most devastating in Scorsese’s career.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2023
  • Plus, the likely cause of the devastating train crash in India.
    Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 5 June 2023
  • Six months into the war in Gaza, the human cost has been devastating.
    Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
  • The choice to do nothing is a choice that could come back to haunt you with devastating consequences in the future.
    Markus Pflitsch, Forbes, 4 May 2023
  • Julio wants to opt out, but the effects on his livelihood could be devastating.
    Judy Berman, TIME, 7 June 2024
  • Sadly, much like the Wizard of Oz, a devastating twister hit my home.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 5 Apr. 2023
  • The fallout from the law, Blagrove said, has been devastating.
    Umar Farooq, ProPublica, 18 Dec. 2023
  • The banners are raised, and the devastating war against Sauron is just beginning.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2024
  • And even losing one hand, say from a stroke, can be devastating and very disruptive to our lives.
    IEEE Spectrum, 27 Mar. 2023
  • That promising future came to a devastating end on Oct. 28 when Perry was found dead at age 54 in a hot tub in the backyard of his home.
    Julie Jordan, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023
  • Well, not all of them, because in a devastating move, Paige chose to hang back in the States rather than return to Russia with her parents.
    Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 May 2024
  • For the other 199, the result may be devastating for no good reason.
    Torie Bosch, STAT, 13 Dec. 2023
  • The city’s plight worsened this June with the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, which unleashed a devastating flood.
    Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 18 Aug. 2023
  • Her grandmother then showed her video footage of the devastating crash.
    NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
  • What to watch for: Carey tripped on her vault run in Tokyo and finished a devastating last place, but ended her Games with a triumphant gold medal on floor.
    Lela Moore, SELF, 15 July 2024
  • That's still a step too far from one of the most devastating physical injuries a punter can endure.
    Indystar Sports, The Indianapolis Star, 7 June 2023
  • The loss of access to fish must have been a devastating turn, because the human residents’ main proteins came from the sea.
    Daniel Lewis, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024
  • That ruling was a devastating blow to the regime and likely changed its calculus.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
  • The footage that Mediha shoots of daily life in the camp pulsates with a devastating optimism.
    Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023
  • That season, his slider was devastating, with a minus-13 run value that ranked 11th in the majors.
    Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2023
  • Don’t miss the charming pastel blue church and the striking monument to a devastating avalanche.
    David Nikel, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
  • The change was devastating to the platform, causing usage to plummet.
    Taylor Lorenz, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2023

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

Last Updated: