as in destruction
the act of destroying or damaging something deliberately so that it does not work correctly
Angry workers were responsible for the sabotage of the machines. Officials have not yet ruled out sabotage as a possible cause of the crash.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to thwart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to destroy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sabotage
Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Cannes got its own cliff-hanger ending on Saturday, the final day of the 78th film festival, when a power outage, apparently caused by deliberate sabotage, shut down the power grid serving the city and much of the surrounding region.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
Leo Tran, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2025
The timing of the lie, and the inevitability that it would be exposed, strongly suggest her false accusation was planned to sabotage Paul’s other case on the eve of trial — deliberately engineered to inflict maximum damage and sway media and public opinion.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sabotage
Noun
Image The European Union has been rolling out programs to shore up its own military sector, galvanized by Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine, as well as evidence that Moscow is conducting a hybrid war of sabotage and espionage on European streets.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Cannes got its own cliff-hanger ending on Saturday, the final day of the 78th film festival, when a power outage, apparently caused by deliberate sabotage, shut down the power grid serving the city and much of the surrounding region.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
Verb
Terrified of the prospect of communist victory, Washington sabotaged the 1954 Geneva Accords, which had called for national elections, and supported an anti-communist government in the South.
—Leo Tran, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2025
The timing of the lie, and the inevitability that it would be exposed, strongly suggest her false accusation was planned to sabotage Paul’s other case on the eve of trial — deliberately engineered to inflict maximum damage and sway media and public opinion.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sabotage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sabotage
Noun
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What makes that even scarier is that Florida’s road record — an .800 win percentage matched by only 17 other teams in the modern era — actually undersells the destruction.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Specialists in contemporary conflicts were interested in studying the building before its destruction because of its former use as military barracks, according to a May 28 news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Musk also joined Trump in criticizing the courts for trying to thwart DOGE cuts and executive actions, including tariffs and migrant deportations.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
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Defenses managed to down six ballistic missiles and 128 drones, while another 117 drones disappeared from radar and were thwarted by electronic warfare, the statement said.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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His Democratic Party predecessor, Moon Jae-in, had three years with a near supermajority in the legislature but had his agenda frustrated by party colleagues with little appetite for painful corrective measures.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
29 May 2025
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Musk was reportedly frustrated about OpenAI being part of the deal and allegedly warned G42 officials on a call that Trump would not sign off on a deal unless his company xAI was included.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
29 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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The situation took a turn when Amy accidentally ruined her earbuds in the wash.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images A federal judge’s recent order may foil President Donald Trump’s plans to transfer the country’s more than $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio from the U.S. Department of Education to the Small Business Administration.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
27 May 2025
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Propel Foil The designer, ex-pro snowboarder and foiling enthusiast Jason Toth, states that no tools are required for making any of the transformations, which take no longer than five minutes each.—
Ben Coxworth
May 27,
New Atlas,
27 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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The motion requests the judge to restrain all members of Trump’s administration from enforcing the order.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
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In June 2024, the high court upheld a ban on firearm purchases and possession by Americans under domestic violence restraining orders.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sabotage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sabotage. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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