as in wrecking
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1
as in destroying
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 ruining
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 shattering
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 demolishing
Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2025
Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2026
Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The work included demolishing one stand entirely to create the space required to facilitate those media demands.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 May 2026
While the Israel Defense Forces continue to dismantle the physical fortress — recently demolishing the largest Hezbollah tunnel network in southern Lebanon — the Iranian people are dismantling the regime’s internal legitimacy.
—Liram Koblentz-Stenzler, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Many family members are opposed to demolishing and/or selling the property.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 8 May 2026
Trump has overseen dramatic cosmetic changes on the White House grounds during his second term, including paving over the grassy line of the famous Rose Garden and demolishing the White House's East Wing to make way for a massive ballroom.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Mary Shepard Place — built in the 1940s as Bellevue Square in the Clay Arsenal neighborhood — would be redeveloped in two phases, demolishing a total of 127, low-income apartments and replacing them with 159.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
Trump began moving forward without congressional approval, including plans that involved demolishing the historic East Wing.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
In the filing, Omni Hotels outlined a five-year timeframe that would get the site fully designed, permitted and prepared for construction, noting construction would not start until at least five years after the demolishing of the buildings on site.
—Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
The plan involves demolishing the building and constructing a near-replica on the same Beatties Ford Road footprint.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2026
Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The work included demolishing one stand entirely to create the space required to facilitate those media demands.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 May 2026
While the Israel Defense Forces continue to dismantle the physical fortress — recently demolishing the largest Hezbollah tunnel network in southern Lebanon — the Iranian people are dismantling the regime’s internal legitimacy.
—Liram Koblentz-Stenzler, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Many family members are opposed to demolishing and/or selling the property.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 8 May 2026
Trump has overseen dramatic cosmetic changes on the White House grounds during his second term, including paving over the grassy line of the famous Rose Garden and demolishing the White House's East Wing to make way for a massive ballroom.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Mary Shepard Place — built in the 1940s as Bellevue Square in the Clay Arsenal neighborhood — would be redeveloped in two phases, demolishing a total of 127, low-income apartments and replacing them with 159.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
Trump began moving forward without congressional approval, including plans that involved demolishing the historic East Wing.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishing
Noun
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At least, there was a lot less wrecking.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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It was compounded when a West Contra Costa storage unit caught fire, destroying Alvin’s belongings, their mother testified.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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Here's how to identify black spot and prevent it from ruining your roses.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Those strikes heavily damaged the bases, burying most tunnel entrances under mountains of debris and shattering roads leading to the sites.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
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As the pattern settled in, summer heat finally arrived across the northern tier, shattering nearly 50 records, with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average, Fox Weather reported.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Noun
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She was arrested at a hotel near the barn and booked at the Clark County Juvenile Hall on 12 counts of animal cruelty, including intentionally aiming or torturing a horse, as well as three counts of malicious destruction of property.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
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The teen, who was at a nearby hotel, was taken into custody and booked for 12 counts of willful/malicious kill/maim/torture animal -- horse and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000, police said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Mertensotto Field While the new municipal campus is at the same site as the current city hall building, new construction would include razing the baseball field known as Mertensotto Field at Civic Center Park.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
25 May 2026
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Israel is razing and looting homes and has vowed to prevent hundreds of thousands of residents, predominantly Shiites, though also members of other religious communities, from returning.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Verb
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Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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The attack happened in an area where security forces are usually stationed, badly damaging nearby buildings and smashing more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road, according to witnesses and images circulating on social media.—
Abdul Sattar,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Not because the Dodgers’ reliever gave up three runs in the eighth inning to the Philadelphia Phillies, blowing a save opportunity and getting tagged with his first loss of the season.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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The plants store electricity generated by large solar and wind farms to release back on the power grid at night when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishing. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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