1
as in to destroy
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
developers demolished the old warehouse to make room for the new shopping mall
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the buildings in the town had been demolished in the bombing raid
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
terrorists used a powerful pipe bomb to demolish the concrete wall around the compound
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demolish
In January 2025, a video posted on social media showed a building being demolished in the southern part of the village.
—
Kerem Inal, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025
Jefferson County has also asked District Court Judge Meegan Miloud to order Phillips to pay a $100 fine and either finish cleaning up the house at her own expense or demolish it.
—Max Levy, Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2025
The city never demolished the building.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2025
But South Dakota State hasn’t seen anything quite like the Huskies, who demolished 15-seed Arkansas State 103-34 in their first-round matchup on Saturday.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Kerem Inal, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025
Jefferson County has also asked District Court Judge Meegan Miloud to order Phillips to pay a $100 fine and either finish cleaning up the house at her own expense or demolish it.
—Max Levy, Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2025
The city never demolished the building.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2025
But South Dakota State hasn’t seen anything quite like the Huskies, who demolished 15-seed Arkansas State 103-34 in their first-round matchup on Saturday.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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More than half a dozen tornadoes have been confirmed, including one in Marshall County, Oklahoma, that left two homes completely destroyed and damaged about 20 others.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Fans of the franchise will remember that the Battle of Exegol was the climactic showdown between the Resistance and the First Order, which ended with the Sith being destroyed once and for all.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Justin Champagnie hit a 3-pointer, the Heat had a backcourt violation and then Carrington ruined Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s 40-point game by dropping this dagger on him.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Trump and Musk are truly onions made of glass: shiny orbs of one insubstantial layer over another, with nothing in the center, liable to be shattered under the slightest pressure.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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And amid the challenges, there’s a growing push for transparency in the beauty industry, especially as entrepreneurs are speaking out more about the realities of running a business, shattering the illusion of effortless success.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The rowhouses were razed for Shubert houses, most of them open by 1923, with the last, the Barrymore, arriving in 1928.—
Frank Rich,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
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The building between them, at 3631, has already been razed.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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At first, Tyrion's owner was devastated with her dog's diagnosis.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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The loss has brought yet another heartbreak for the Townsend family, stemming from the mass shooting that devastated this suburban Denver community 26 years ago.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Kamikaze sank their first ship on Oct. 25, 1944, when a navy Zero pilot smashed into the USS St. Lo in the Philippine Sea while carrying a pair of 550-pound bombs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Raphinha gets the ball in space and smashes home from the edge of the box.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Three days prior, Dale Earnhardt, the sport’s superhero and antihero and transcendent phenom all in one, wrecked into the wall on Turn 4 on the last lap of the Daytona 500.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Apr. 2025
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The architectural vandalism was hideous and heartbreaking to watch, inhumane civic renewal by wrecking ball in the discredited vein of Robert Moses.—
Frank Rich,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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April 17, 2025 The wind gusts could blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may occur, the National Weather Service advised.—
Ashley Fredde,
Idaho Statesman,
17 Apr. 2025
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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