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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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
The city demolished the old building in 2021 and remediated the land before donating it to the current development.
—
Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025
Home demolished During winter break at the University of Idaho, a demolition began of the home where the murders took place, over the objections of some of the victims' family members.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
By some estimates, construction and building operations already account for 42% of global carbon emissions, which means nearly half of all emissions worldwide stem from constructing, operating, or demolishing buildings.
—Christopher Marquis, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Many have long since been demolished or altered beyond recognition, but some of the most beautiful have miraculously kept their original structures and decoration intact.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025
Home demolished During winter break at the University of Idaho, a demolition began of the home where the murders took place, over the objections of some of the victims' family members.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
By some estimates, construction and building operations already account for 42% of global carbon emissions, which means nearly half of all emissions worldwide stem from constructing, operating, or demolishing buildings.
—Christopher Marquis, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Many have long since been demolished or altered beyond recognition, but some of the most beautiful have miraculously kept their original structures and decoration intact.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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Af Klint edited her own notebooks later in life, rewriting or destroying entire passages and exorcising biographical details.—
Jay Cheshes,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Helicopters dumped water over a burning forest in South Korea Thursday as fire crews struggled to contain the country's worst-ever wildfires, which have killed 28 people, forced at least 37,800 to flee their homes and destroyed thousands of structures and vehicles.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacramento Bee,
23 Mar. 2025
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But those stocks were mined with some gusto, and large portions of the island were essentially ruined.—
Nick Miller,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The tornado damaged the roof and shattered the windows of Drope’s home.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
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In a fit of rage, Gadot’s Evil Queen shatters her Magic Mirror, which then sucks her into its shadow realm before returning to its original unbroken form, trapping her inside.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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To Bigelow, the scene recalled an image from a 1961 fire that razed Bel Air, about five miles from the Palisades.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
18 Mar. 2025
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Some Joshua trees will, almost inevitably, be razed for solar farms.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This decision devastated Ajax, whose honor and ego were deeply wounded.—
Antonis Kocheilas,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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When Hurricane Milton ripped through Tampa Bay on October 9, less than two weeks had passed since Hurricane Helene struck the same area, and the region was devastated.—
Chad Jennings,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The truck's windshield was smashed and debris, including shattered glass, was strewn across the street.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Michael Conforto helped double the lead in the third, smashing an RBI double off the wall two at-bats before Tommy Edman lifted a near-grand slam to the warning track in center for a sacrifice fly.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That’s led one of its top investors, Ross Gerber, this week to call for Musk to lay off the government wrecking or step down as CEO.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2025
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The tornado wrecked through 13 miles of the city, with wind speeds over 200 miles per hour.—
Greta Cross,
USA TODAY,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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At night, after the final whistle was blown, thousands of jubilant fans poured into the streets, heading toward the city’s bars to continue the debauchery, sometimes till dawn.—
Andrew McNicol,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
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The thought flashed through my mind that only an idiot would blow the chance of a lifetime.—
Jim Tappan,
Outdoor Life,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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