1
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the explosion devastated an entire city block
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
we were devastated by the awful news of his death
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devastate
Flow follows a cat, whose solitary lifestyle changes once their home is devastated by a great flood.
—
Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Hosted for the first time by Conan O’Brien, the Oscars ceremony will bring to a close an award season overshadowed by January’s Los Angeles wildfires that devastated the city and affected many in the industry.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
While the mystery of who killed Lottie will inevitably unfold over the rest of the season, Kessell says she was devastated to learn the fate of her character.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025
The outflow of young families from NYC is devastating our economy.
—Shahana Hanif, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Hosted for the first time by Conan O’Brien, the Oscars ceremony will bring to a close an award season overshadowed by January’s Los Angeles wildfires that devastated the city and affected many in the industry.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
While the mystery of who killed Lottie will inevitably unfold over the rest of the season, Kessell says she was devastated to learn the fate of her character.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025
The outflow of young families from NYC is devastating our economy.
—Shahana Hanif, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastate
Verb
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How Helene devastated western North Carolina and left communities in ruins The storm ravaged the terrain alongside I-40, eroding 3 million cubic yards of earth and rock from the mountainside, leaving behind a scarred landscape and a daunting reconstruction challenge.—
Artemis Moshtaghian,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
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Philadelphia Eagles: The Super Bowl champions will likely be ravaged by free agency, losing a number of their key players such as defensive lineman Josh Sweat, linebacker Zack Baun and defensive lineman Milton Williams, who will likely cash in on last season’s success.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This is a major U-turn from Riot, after completely revamping the rewards system at the start of the year and being destroyed by fans for it.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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Lost in a sea of ash: When wildfire destroys a home — and a loved one’s urn — the search begins.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The last time Wisconsin held an election for the state’s Supreme Court, Republicans cried foul over the wave of money from out-of-state Democrats that overwhelmed their candidate.—
Reid J. Epstein,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
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But public transit and pedestrian advocates might point to these numbers as evidence that some cities are overwhelmed by cars and need to get serious about alternatives.—
Alex Fitzpatrick,
Axios,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Sometimes, one bad person or a few bad people can ruin things for everybody.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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The floods were also a disaster for businesses that lost valuable stock, like a local bookstore which saw $25,000 worth of books ruined, the BBC reported.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Wolfpack overcame 17 turnovers and a disadvantage in paint points with a nearly perfect performance from the free-throw line and better-than-usual 3-point shooting.—
Chantel Jennings,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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To advance, Sporting must overcome a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Many have long since been demolished or altered beyond recognition, but some of the most beautiful have miraculously kept their original structures and decoration intact.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
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Some residential buildings have been demolished; a hole is punched into the side of a mosque; chunks of broken concrete now bare the inside of someone’s home to the outside world.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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As the two vehicles collided, there was a loud boom; their windshields shattered, and the scene was engulfed in smoke.—
Stephania Taladrid,
The New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2025
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Recent events have shattered her image as a role model—a persona that has long been disputed by some of her co-stars.—
Louis Staples,
Rolling Stone,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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With Austin Cindric and Erik Jones locked in a side-by-side battle to decide a Daytona 500 qualifying race less than 100 yards from the finish line, cars wrecked behind them and NASCAR immediately hit the caution button.—
Jeff Gluck,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
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As with other official statements over the previous two days, Webster said the cause is still under investigation and offered no reasons why the plane could have wrecked.—
Bill Lukitsch The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS),
arkansasonline.com,
21 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to devastate
Cite this Entry
“Devastate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastate. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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