devastate
verb
dev·as·tate
ˈde-və-ˌstāt 
devastated; devastating
1
: to bring to ruin or desolation by violent action
a country devastated by war
The typhoon devastated the island.
2
: to reduce to chaos, disorder, or helplessness : overwhelm
devastated by grief
Her wisecrack devastated the class.
Examples of devastate in a Sentence
The flood devastated the town.
The disease has devastated the area's oak tree population.
The hurricane left the island completely devastated.
Recent Examples on the Web
She’s devastated by how badly water and air pollution have affected businesses, tourism and overall quality of life.
—
Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 July 2025
John Tufts The Grand Canyon North Rim, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, has been devastated by the Dragon Bravo wildfire.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 14 July 2025
Hill Country was devastated by flash flooding on July 4 after torrential downpours caused the Guadalupe River to rise to near 30 feet.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 14 July 2025
The majority of the deaths were in Kerr County, where a torrential downpour flooded the Guadalupe River and devastated a girls’ summer camp.
—Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
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Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 July 2025
John Tufts The Grand Canyon North Rim, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, has been devastated by the Dragon Bravo wildfire.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 14 July 2025
Hill Country was devastated by flash flooding on July 4 after torrential downpours caused the Guadalupe River to rise to near 30 feet.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 14 July 2025
The majority of the deaths were in Kerr County, where a torrential downpour flooded the Guadalupe River and devastated a girls’ summer camp.
—Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Cite this Entry
“Devastate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devastate. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
devastate
verb
dev·as·tate
ˈdev-ə-ˌstāt
devastated; devastating
1
: to reduce to ruin : lay waste
2
: overwhelm sense 2, overpower
devastated by grief
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