as in disastrous
causing or tending to cause destruction
a devastating blow to our morale
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ravaging
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
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 overwhelming
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 devastating
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
In the film, Buckley portrays Agnes Shakespeare — the largely unknown wife of William Shakespeare — navigating the devastating loss of their young son.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
This impact triggered a tsunami up to 100 meters (328 feet) high, devastating the area and causing the creation of the Silverpit crater.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
Adjective
An hour after their season came to a devastating end on Saturday, with a 5-4 loss in 11 innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Jays wrote the final few signatures on each clubhouse nameplate.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
In the film, Buckley portrays Agnes Shakespeare — the largely unknown wife of William Shakespeare — navigating the devastating loss of their young son.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
Oil was discovered there in the 1920s, and the county went through booms and busts for decades, enriching wildcatters and devastating the landscape, until a lasting bust left Loving County a virtual wasteland with no running water, paved roads, schools, hospitals, or grocery stores.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
This impact triggered a tsunami up to 100 meters (328 feet) high, devastating the area and causing the creation of the Silverpit crater.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastating
Adjective
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The Arizona Wildcats clobbered Colorado, 52-17, marking another disastrous defeat for Coach Prime.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Gottlieb’s team, picked last in the Horizon League preseason poll, hopes to improve on last year’s disastrous 4-28 campaign.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Hurricane Melissa, currently ravaging the Caribbean, is a perfect example of why climate adaptation finance is so badly needed.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Sean Paul is doing his part to help minimize and repair the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa, which is currently ravaging his homeland of Jamaica.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Overdevelopment destroying our communities.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Unless this is another ploy by women who are intent on destroying each other.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Elderly patients deserve products that soothe without overwhelming.—
Jahan Marcu,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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There's also the Manhattan Beach Pier that has a small aquarium and adds a unique centerpiece without overwhelming the coastline.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Her grief transforms into destructive power, turning her into a monster.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
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The last time Jamaica faced a hurricane of a similar magnitude was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, a Category 4 storm remembered as the deadliest and most destructive in the nation’s history.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement The past few years have seen record-shattering global sea surface temperatures, which helps strengthen storms.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
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Viewers are dropped into the aftermath of an unnamed personal conflict and must work out over the course of the runtime the stakes of the situation, a highwire act handled deftly by the actors whose tender performances provide the emotional impact of the film’s shattering final sequence.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Key challenges to commercialization include creating a material that is both safe and highly conductive and overcoming the high costs of mass production.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
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Castellani and Muritiba spoke about how the United States can learn from Brazil and their country’s history of overcoming fascism.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Chiefs have seen some of league’s premier running backs — such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs — and have met each challenge, preventing those elite players from ruining the defensive game plan.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
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Clark reiterated his belief that the Dodgers are not ruining baseball.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devastating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastating. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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