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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of devastate
The floods have devastated local economies and communities.
—
Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2025
Ahmed said that pressure has nonetheless mounted on Gazans, and that many were further devastated to return north and find their homes turned to rubble.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
Taylor Hawkins unexpectedly died three years ago in a Colombian hotel room
5 Comments
Fans of the Foo Fighters were devastated to learn of the untimely death of their longtime drummer, Oliver Taylor Hawkins on March 25, 2022.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025
Last year, parts of the U.S. were devastated by hurricanes such as Helene and Milton.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2025
Ahmed said that pressure has nonetheless mounted on Gazans, and that many were further devastated to return north and find their homes turned to rubble.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
Taylor Hawkins unexpectedly died three years ago in a Colombian hotel room
5 Comments
Fans of the Foo Fighters were devastated to learn of the untimely death of their longtime drummer, Oliver Taylor Hawkins on March 25, 2022.
—Emily Blackwood, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025
Last year, parts of the U.S. were devastated by hurricanes such as Helene and Milton.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastate
Verb
-
What To Know Hurricane Helene ravaged western North Carolina last September, damaging 822,000 acres of woodlands across the state.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
-
By Friday afternoon, the 344 fire, as it was dubbed by Florida’s Forest Service, had ravaged more than 26,000 acres but state and local firefighters had managed to contain it to unoccupied wetlands.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The Palisades and Eaton fires burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed at least 12,000 buildings.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Many of the early hires were believed to be young tech engineers with little to no government experience, prompting criticism from Democrats and unions that critical government services and systems would be cut or destroyed.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
This data stored across multiple cloud environments, on-premises systems and SaaS applications has overwhelmed traditional classification methods.—
Asaf Kochan,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
The threat on European alcohol overwhelmed the positive inflation news.—
Francisco Velasquez,
Quartz,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Simone Jasper,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Both Banchero and Wagner, who started alongside Cory Joseph, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr., were able to overcome the defensive attention from the Kings and attack the basket with ease.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward overcoming them.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The house was demolished a few years ago, so those films have now become a kind of archival image of the family.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Protests against Hamas come amid a deep humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where most infrastructure including medical facilities has been demolished.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Over the past year, women’s sports have shattered viewership records.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Come October, the sound of a puck skimming across ice and players crashing into the boards surrounding a hockey rink may shatter the 2 1/2-year silence.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Part of the franchise’s challenge is to incorporate Leonard without wrecking team chemistry.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Back in the fortress, the Man of Steel scolds Krypto for wrecking the joint while he was gone.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devastate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastate. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share