1
as in destroys
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 demolishes
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 overwhelms
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 devastates
Deadly flooding devastates South Asia Almost 400 people have died in Pakistan after flash floods brought destruction throughout the country’s north.
—
Semafor Staff, semafor.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Illness devastates the novel’s humble, endearing protagonist, who bravely crosses class boundaries in her enthralling search for peace.
—Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
Semafor Staff, semafor.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Illness devastates the novel’s humble, endearing protagonist, who bravely crosses class boundaries in her enthralling search for peace.
—Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastates
Verb
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Producing traditional paper destroys trees and is resource-intensive, requiring up to 13 liters of water for every page made.—
Sandy Ong,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
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In those situations, the team typically takes the potentially explosive item to a remote area and destroys it, just to be safe, Putthoff said.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If a disaster overwhelms state and local capacity, officials may request a presidential declaration, the agency said.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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This overload wastes storage, overwhelms engineering teams, clutters observability tools and slows investigations when something actually goes wrong.—
Bill Hineline,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As extreme heat ravages New York City this summer, the lives of thousands detained on Rikers Island hang in the balance.—
Darren Mack,
New York Daily News,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The shift change shatters my sleep like a robin’s egg crashing against pavement.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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Most sitcoms that cast celebrities to play themselves go the Thompson route, crafting a character that completely shatters the person’s public image.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The new CoFe-2DSA catalyst overcomes these limits through a unique structure.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
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Saginaw’s surge overcomes Boswell The Pioneers of Boswell dominated play in the opening half, building a 21-0 lead that looked rock solid behind a persistent defense and an offense balanced with good running and passing.—
Pat Wheeler,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When that happens, 67% of teens say their malfunctioning laptop ruins their entire day.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
11 Sep. 2025
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One mistake often ruins an entire load, sending recyclables straight to landfills.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devastates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastates. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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