1
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the explosion devastated an entire city block
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
we were devastated by the awful news of his death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devastate
Flow follows a cat, whose solitary lifestyle changes once their home is devastated by a great flood.
—
Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Hosted for the first time by Conan O’Brien, the Oscars ceremony will bring to a close an award season overshadowed by January’s Los Angeles wildfires that devastated the city and affected many in the industry.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
While the mystery of who killed Lottie will inevitably unfold over the rest of the season, Kessell says she was devastated to learn the fate of her character.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025
The outflow of young families from NYC is devastating our economy.
—Shahana Hanif, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Hosted for the first time by Conan O’Brien, the Oscars ceremony will bring to a close an award season overshadowed by January’s Los Angeles wildfires that devastated the city and affected many in the industry.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
While the mystery of who killed Lottie will inevitably unfold over the rest of the season, Kessell says she was devastated to learn the fate of her character.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025
The outflow of young families from NYC is devastating our economy.
—Shahana Hanif, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastate
Verb
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No broken bottle is going to keep him from ravaging his prey.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
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Listen to this article MIAMI — For a roster jolted by the trade of Jimmy Butler and ravaged recently by injuries and absences, a constant for the Miami Heat this season has been the team’s two-way contracts.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This is a major U-turn from Riot, after completely revamping the rewards system at the start of the year and being destroyed by fans for it.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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Lost in a sea of ash: When wildfire destroys a home — and a loved one’s urn — the search begins.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The last time Wisconsin held an election for the state’s Supreme Court, Republicans cried foul over the wave of money from out-of-state Democrats that overwhelmed their candidate.—
Reid J. Epstein,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
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Summarization involves condensing key points from past interactions into concise formats, ensuring the LLM has access to essential information without being overwhelmed by excessive data.—
Sandeep Jha,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2025
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Alli Jo adds that the kids left school to appear on the date with Grant and the ladies, so Zoe ruined their day, too.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This new computing paradigm excels in real-time optimization and predictive modeling, offering unprecedented opportunities to overcome pressing public-sector challenges.—
Yuval Boger,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Every once in a while, a pitfall of community theater is glimpsed, but only momentarily, and here the heartfelt sense of fun overcomes any little shortcoming.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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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
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Most of the historic neighborhood theater buildings were either demolished or destroyed by fire, often replaced by parking lots or highways.—
Michael Wells,
Kansas City Star,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Investigators say at least seven shots were fired, damaging three cars and shattering windows.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
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The animated blockbuster, which has shattered box office records, will debut in the U.K. and Ireland on March 21, with previews beginning March 14.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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With the Trop's roof wrecked by Hurricane Milton, the Rays will play at Tampa's George M. Steinbrenner Field.—
Jeff Weiner,
Axios,
10 Mar. 2025
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A lot of people get too ambitious, head to the back tees, and end up absolutely wrecked by the course.—
David Hochman,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to devastate
Cite this Entry
“Devastate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastate. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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