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
While their home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said Saturday, as power tools buzzed in the background.
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CBS News, 17 May 2025
Saturday’s race was the last one at historic Pimlico as ‘Old Hilltop’ will be demolished and rebuilt for a modern building.
—Wayne Sterling, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Image In Serbia, the prospect that the historic complex would be demolished and replaced with a luxury hotel benefiting the American president has spurred outrage.
—Pavle Kosic, New York Times, 15 May 2025
WIth Jarren Duran on first with a one-out single in the sixth, Devers demolished Lugo’s first pitch, a 91.8 mph four-seamer.
—Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
CBS News, 17 May 2025
Saturday’s race was the last one at historic Pimlico as ‘Old Hilltop’ will be demolished and rebuilt for a modern building.
—Wayne Sterling, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Image In Serbia, the prospect that the historic complex would be demolished and replaced with a luxury hotel benefiting the American president has spurred outrage.
—Pavle Kosic, New York Times, 15 May 2025
WIth Jarren Duran on first with a one-out single in the sixth, Devers demolished Lugo’s first pitch, a 91.8 mph four-seamer.
—Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
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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During the week of my embed, the Russian military identified and destroyed a few of the Vampire pilots’ positions.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
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Thessaloniki, Greece Greece is an iconic travel destination with ancient history, ruins steeped in lore, and picture-perfect Mediterranean beaches.—
Kathleen Peddicord,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Verb
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But the illusion of paradise is shattered when another guest is found dead and Gabriel becomes the prime suspect.—
Laura Thompson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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The event shattered the records for participation in a online chess game, passing the previous record of 70,000 set for the ‘Vishy vs. The World’ last year.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
21 May 2025
Verb
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State Farm requested the emergency rate increase in February, the month after fires ripped through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods of Los Angeles, razing over 16,000 homes and structures.—
Rukmini Callimachi,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
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January fire weather conditions driven by climate change had helped fuel the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, which razed almost 40,000 acres of land and destroyed tens of thousands of homes across L.A.—
Nidhi Sharma,
NBC news,
12 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 Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions Friday in a big first step toward fulfilling the president’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country devastated by civil war.—
Abby Sewell,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Verb
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The crash came a little over a year after the Dali, a 984-foot-long cargo ship, lost power while departing Baltimore’s harbor and smashed into the Key Bridge, killing six people and destroying critical infrastructure.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
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During a Freshman All-American season at Sac State in 2023, Smith smashed 14 home runs and nine doubles to go with 45 RBIs.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2025
Verb
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His cabin was a few miles south of the one the bear wrecked for for me, closer to the fringe of settlement.—
Ted Updike,
Outdoor Life,
22 May 2025
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Soon, the film studio’s fortunes turned with films like Die Hard – the explanation that producers Joel Silver and Larry Gordon gave in getting permission to use the Fox headquarters for Nakatomi Plaza for one night, only to stay weeks and wreck the place – is hilarious.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Verb
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That’s just the beginning, though—keep scrolling for more deals sure to blow you away (no pun intended).—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
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Julia snuck some matchstick carrots into the potato mixture, then blew my socks off with a punchy, springy topping of feta, mint, dill, and chives.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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