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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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
Back in Vegas, Marcus and his loved ones watch the Tropicalia get demolished and lament the old Vegas, the one that wasn’t all sterile and lame and full of chain stores.
—
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 30 May 2025
The developer demolished the old ICCU building that sat on the lot with the city’s approval, but hit pause on the project as interest rates and construction costs skyrocketed.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2025
Because the Panthers demolished the home team in each game, outscoring the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes by a combined score of 22-4.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2025
Instead of fulfilling Brown’s promise of racial inclusion and integration, highways became a tool of resistance to civil rights—concrete weapons used to demolish Black neighborhoods and re-segregate cities under the guise of progress.
—Deborah N. Archer, Time, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 30 May 2025
The developer demolished the old ICCU building that sat on the lot with the city’s approval, but hit pause on the project as interest rates and construction costs skyrocketed.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2025
Because the Panthers demolished the home team in each game, outscoring the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes by a combined score of 22-4.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2025
Instead of fulfilling Brown’s promise of racial inclusion and integration, highways became a tool of resistance to civil rights—concrete weapons used to demolish Black neighborhoods and re-segregate cities under the guise of progress.
—Deborah N. Archer, Time, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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Another key feature of algae oil is its high smoke point of 535 degrees—the temperature at which oil begins to break down, release dangerous chemicals, and destroy its nutrients.—
Jonathan Purtell,
Verywell Health,
27 May 2025
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea from a group of Native American activists and supporters to block a copper mining company from destroying an Apache religious site.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2025
Verb
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There were missions that felt like a rally racing mini-game, asking me to navigate between timer-extending rings dotting barren desert ruins.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2025
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But Foxx lamented how the producer ruined his legacy after being arrested in Manhattan last September following a grand jury indictment.—
Mekishana Pierre Published,
EW.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Whatever credibility the report might have had as a product of a federal agency was shattered by its obvious errors, misrepresentations and outright fabrications of source materials, some of it plainly the product of the authors’ reliance on AI bots.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
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That puts them on pace to win just 25 games in 2025, which would shatter the record set by the White Sox.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
Verb
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The war has carried a horrific toll for Gazans, with many dead amid the fighting and whole neighborhoods razed to the ground.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
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The entire left side of the block was razed and is now the site of Hill Wheatley Plaza.—
Ray Hanley,
Arkansas Online,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Sand, breeze blocks, storm shutters—these are materials of survival and exclusion, shaped by the hurricanes that regularly devastate her homeland.—
Nargess Banks,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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The famed Pacific Coast Highway, State Route 1, has been closed since Jan. 7, 2025 as a result of the Palisades Fire which devastated the surrounding community.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
Verb
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He’s often found smashing things in the name of justice but can still be angered easily if things don’t go his way.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
30 May 2025
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That served as a prelude to Tim Anderson smashing his own two-run shot off Zack Britton in the bottom of the inning to send the White Sox home winners.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
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During testimony, Lance Jimenez of the Los Angeles Fire Department recalled a 2012 incident in which an explosion wrecked a Porsche owned by Scott Mescudi, professionally known as Kid Cudi.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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Walls were wrecked by artillery blasts and gunfire.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Failing to install the tax would blow an additional $80 million hole in Chicago’s 2026 budget as the city already faces a budget gap of around $1 billion, Budget Director Annette Guzman said.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
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Wind blows the dust into the atmosphere and begins moving it westward over the Atlantic Ocean.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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