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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The classic example of an injunction is a command to stop a party from using a wrecking ball to demolish a building during a dispute over property rights.
—
Barbara McQuade, Twin Cities, 1 Apr. 2025
The historic Desert Inn, damaged by a truck five years ago, has been demolished.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
The Silverman Group bought all 172 acres, demolished the buildings on the southern half and turned the mostly undeveloped northern side into The Ridge at Talcott Mountain.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2025
Israeli forces regularly move in to demolish homes and other structures.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Barbara McQuade, Twin Cities, 1 Apr. 2025
The historic Desert Inn, damaged by a truck five years ago, has been demolished.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
The Silverman Group bought all 172 acres, demolished the buildings on the southern half and turned the mostly undeveloped northern side into The Ridge at Talcott Mountain.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2025
Israeli forces regularly move in to demolish homes and other structures.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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Af Klint edited her own notebooks later in life, rewriting or destroying entire passages and exorcising biographical details.—
Jay Cheshes,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Helicopters dumped water over a burning forest in South Korea Thursday as fire crews struggled to contain the country's worst-ever wildfires, which have killed 28 people, forced at least 37,800 to flee their homes and destroyed thousands of structures and vehicles.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Curtis left her job as a deputy in August 2023 and sued the county soon after, claiming in court documents that Anderson’s harassment ruined her reputation and career with the county.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2025
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An attorney representing former Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker is asking a county judge to give the ex-official probation — not jail time — arguing that his conviction late last year has already damaged his reputation and ruined his career, according to a new court filing.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Over the past year, women’s sports have shattered viewership records.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Israeli military’s response resumed last month, shattering a ceasefire.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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To Bigelow, the scene recalled an image from a 1961 fire that razed Bel Air, about five miles from the Palisades.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
18 Mar. 2025
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Some Joshua trees will, almost inevitably, be razed for solar farms.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The 29-year-old hairstylist in New York had been cheated on before, an experience that left her devastated and heartbroken.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2025
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This decision devastated Ajax, whose honor and ego were deeply wounded.—
Antonis Kocheilas,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The truck's windshield was smashed and debris, including shattered glass, was strewn across the street.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Michael Conforto helped double the lead in the third, smashing an RBI double off the wall two at-bats before Tommy Edman lifted a near-grand slam to the warning track in center for a sacrifice fly.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Part of the franchise’s challenge is to incorporate Leonard without wrecking team chemistry.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2025
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At least 6 people were killed in the storms in multiple states as destructive winds wrecked cars, tore down powerlines and sent people scrambling.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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What used to build brands now risks blowing them up.—
Remy Blumenfeld,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Apr. 2025
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Miles Caton blew me away and Michael B. jordan is incredible.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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