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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devastate
The resulting war between Israel and Hamas devastated the territory of Gaza and left at least 40,000 residents dead.
—
Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Patterson has known the mayor for about 20 years and was devastated to read Wallace’s letter.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025
While Broadway was devastated by the pandemic, film and TV faced an even bigger trial in 2023 with the dual strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, Telsey said.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
At that point, Abel was devastated and losing hope.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Patterson has known the mayor for about 20 years and was devastated to read Wallace’s letter.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025
While Broadway was devastated by the pandemic, film and TV faced an even bigger trial in 2023 with the dual strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, Telsey said.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
At that point, Abel was devastated and losing hope.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastate
Verb
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The Israeli government approved the first part of the peace plan to end the conflict in Gaza, after a brutal two-year war that has ravaged the Palestinian enclave and sparked a global outcry, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early on Friday local time.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
9 Oct. 2025
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The death toll in Gaza has surpassed sixty-seven thousand, with the enclave so ravaged that Israel has become something of an international pariah.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The fear of further Israeli strikes, particularly on Iran, remains acute in the public’s mind as much of Iranian air defenses likely were destroyed by Israel in June.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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The Wild were absolutely destroyed in the faceoff circle, losing 44 of 71 (38 percent success rate).—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Walt Disney Imagineering updated the storyline of Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchway earlier this year by turning her from an axe murderer who beheads her wealthy husbands into a more mournful figure overwhelmed by the dread of lost love.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Over such spans, change overwhelms continuity; too much simply disappears.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Back in January, Preston remembered filming My Best Friend’s Wedding — and how an iconic scene ruined crab and lobster for her.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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Packages of flying tortillas thrown at the wrong time, or pocket knives, would only hurt a reputation that Texas Tech has worked doggedly to change and show that the Red Raiders are at home on a national stage, and not the crazy drunk uncle ruining a holiday.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Rough Riders overcame a furious Arlington Heights rally in the third quarter and used a late goal-line stand to shock the Yellow Jackets in a 50-47 thriller.—
Updated October 10,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Oct. 2025
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Johnson’s familiarity is key to bringing audiences close to Kerr and helps the film overcome its potentially alienating storyline.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Neighbors for a Better San Diego, a group that represents mostly single-family homeowners and opposes nearby higher-density development, criticized the report for not tracking how many homes get demolished to make way for new projects.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
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The Premier League club had previously intended to demolish the Peter Taylor Stand — the oldest, and smallest, of the City Ground’s four — and replace it with an entirely new structure, increasing capacity from just over 30,000 to around 35,000.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Andy Pages, amid a miserable month, shattered his bat while hitting a ground ball back to the pitcher.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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Nowhere is this more urgent than in Gaza and Israel, where two years of devastation have left families shattered and entire communities on the brink, on both sides of the divide.—
Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One raid saw masked federal agents repelling from Black Hawk helicopters and wrecking an apartment building.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
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The wrecking-ball style is the way King played even at Longview (Texas) High, where his father was the coach, and didn’t coddle or protect his son, as Dickey remembers.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devastate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastate. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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