1
as in to destroy
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
developers demolished the old warehouse to make room for the new shopping mall
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the buildings in the town had been demolished in the bombing raid
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3
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
terrorists used a powerful pipe bomb to demolish the concrete wall around the compound
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demolish
While their home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said Saturday, as power tools buzzed in the background.
—
CBS News, 17 May 2025
Saturday’s race was the last one at historic Pimlico as ‘Old Hilltop’ will be demolished and rebuilt for a modern building.
—Wayne Sterling, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Image In Serbia, the prospect that the historic complex would be demolished and replaced with a luxury hotel benefiting the American president has spurred outrage.
—Pavle Kosic, New York Times, 15 May 2025
WIth Jarren Duran on first with a one-out single in the sixth, Devers demolished Lugo’s first pitch, a 91.8 mph four-seamer.
—Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
CBS News, 17 May 2025
Saturday’s race was the last one at historic Pimlico as ‘Old Hilltop’ will be demolished and rebuilt for a modern building.
—Wayne Sterling, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Image In Serbia, the prospect that the historic complex would be demolished and replaced with a luxury hotel benefiting the American president has spurred outrage.
—Pavle Kosic, New York Times, 15 May 2025
WIth Jarren Duran on first with a one-out single in the sixth, Devers demolished Lugo’s first pitch, a 91.8 mph four-seamer.
—Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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Another key feature of algae oil is its high smoke point of 535 degrees—the temperature at which oil begins to break down, release dangerous chemicals, and destroy its nutrients.—
Jonathan Purtell,
Verywell Health,
27 May 2025
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During the week of my embed, the Russian military identified and destroyed a few of the Vampire pilots’ positions.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2025
Verb
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There were missions that felt like a rally racing mini-game, asking me to navigate between timer-extending rings dotting barren desert ruins.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2025
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The situation took a turn when Amy accidentally ruined her earbuds in the wash.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Whatever credibility the report might have had as a product of a federal agency was shattered by its obvious errors, misrepresentations and outright fabrications of source materials, some of it plainly the product of the authors’ reliance on AI bots.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
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That puts them on pace to win just 25 games in 2025, which would shatter the record set by the White Sox.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
Verb
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The war has carried a horrific toll for Gazans, with many dead amid the fighting and whole neighborhoods razed to the ground.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
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The entire left side of the block was razed and is now the site of Hill Wheatley Plaza.—
Ray Hanley,
Arkansas Online,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Sand, breeze blocks, storm shutters—these are materials of survival and exclusion, shaped by the hurricanes that regularly devastate her homeland.—
Nargess Banks,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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The famed Pacific Coast Highway, State Route 1, has been closed since Jan. 7, 2025 as a result of the Palisades Fire which devastated the surrounding community.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
Verb
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He’s often found smashing things in the name of justice but can still be angered easily if things don’t go his way.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
30 May 2025
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That served as a prelude to Tim Anderson smashing his own two-run shot off Zack Britton in the bottom of the inning to send the White Sox home winners.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
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During testimony, Lance Jimenez of the Los Angeles Fire Department recalled a 2012 incident in which an explosion wrecked a Porsche owned by Scott Mescudi, professionally known as Kid Cudi.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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Walls were wrecked by artillery blasts and gunfire.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
27 May 2025
Verb
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That’s just the beginning, though—keep scrolling for more deals sure to blow you away (no pun intended).—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
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Julia snuck some matchstick carrots into the potato mixture, then blew my socks off with a punchy, springy topping of feta, mint, dill, and chives.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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