vandalism
noun
van·dal·ism
ˈvan-də-ˌli-zəm 
: willful or malicious destruction or defacement of public or private property
Examples of vandalism in a Sentence
acts of theft and vandalism
He was arrested for vandalism.
Recent Examples on the Web
The men are suspected of vandalism, the recreation area said in an Instagram post.
—
Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024
There also have been others cases of vandalism on federal land across the West over the past decade, with visitors defacing petroglyphs, toppling rock features and pounding climbing bolts into centuries-old rock art.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
The men are suspected of vandalism, the recreation area said in a social media post.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
San Francisco resident Robert Gray, 35, was booked on one felony count of vandalism with damage of more than $400 and a misdemeanor violation of civil rights by damaging another property.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
March 11 Vandalism: At 9:28 a.m., deputies responded to a vandalism call at Prospect High School on Prospect Road.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
The 22-year-old man found inside the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism, police said.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2024
The robust designs, said Canales, grow out of a mountain of demands, including a desire to reflect local context and history, a need to build quickly, cheaply and sturdily with Sonoran materials and labor and to respond to limited budgets and a harsh climate, not to mention crime and vandalism.
—Sam Lubell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
By November 2023, the Metropolitan Police had investigated nearly 1,000 incidents of vandalism.
—Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024
There also have been others cases of vandalism on federal land across the West over the past decade, with visitors defacing petroglyphs, toppling rock features and pounding climbing bolts into centuries-old rock art.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
The men are suspected of vandalism, the recreation area said in a social media post.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
San Francisco resident Robert Gray, 35, was booked on one felony count of vandalism with damage of more than $400 and a misdemeanor violation of civil rights by damaging another property.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
March 11 Vandalism: At 9:28 a.m., deputies responded to a vandalism call at Prospect High School on Prospect Road.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
The 22-year-old man found inside the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism, police said.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2024
The robust designs, said Canales, grow out of a mountain of demands, including a desire to reflect local context and history, a need to build quickly, cheaply and sturdily with Sonoran materials and labor and to respond to limited budgets and a harsh climate, not to mention crime and vandalism.
—Sam Lubell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
By November 2023, the Metropolitan Police had investigated nearly 1,000 incidents of vandalism.
—Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vandalism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vandalism
Cite this Entry
“Vandalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vandalism. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vandalism
noun
van·dal·ism
ˈvan-dᵊl-ˌiz-əm
: intentional destruction or damage to property
Legal Definition
vandalism
noun
van·dal·ism
ˈvand-ᵊl-ˌi-zəm
: the willful or malicious destruction or defacement of property
insurance covering property damage from vandalism and malicious mischief
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