demolish

verb

de·​mol·​ish di-ˈmä-lish How to pronounce demolish (audio)
demolished; demolishing; demolishes

transitive verb

1
a
: tear down, raze
demolish a building
b
: to break to pieces : smash
His car was demolished in the accident.
2
a
: to do away with : destroy
a filibuster which would effectively demolish the issueCurrent Biography
… a performance so awkward and apathetic it instantly appeared to demolish any chance of restoring her declining career …Dave Itzkoff
b
: to strip of any pretense of merit or credence
demolished her debate opponents
demolish a stereotype
demolisher noun
demolishment noun

Examples of demolish in a Sentence

The old factory was demolished to make way for a new parking lot. Tons of explosives were used to demolish the building. The town hopes to restore the old theater rather than have it demolished. The car was demolished in the accident. They demolished the other team 51–7.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Neighbors for a Better San Diego, a group that represents mostly single-family homeowners and opposes nearby higher-density development, criticized the report for not tracking how many homes get demolished to make way for new projects. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025 The home’s name pays tribute to another home, one built in the 1840s and demolished in 1973, that sat on the site of the Walmart at Bashford Manor Mall. Matthew Glowicki, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Oct. 2025 Barner holds his arms parallel to the ground and swings them side to side while slowly stomping forward like Godzilla demolishing a city. Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 The land, now owned by the city, was previously occupied by a Uniroyal tire factory that shut down in 1980 and was demolished. Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for demolish

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French demolir, extended stem demoliss- (with final conformed to earlier English verbs with the same ending, as nourish, perish), borrowed from Latin dēmōlīrī, dēmōlīre "to throw off, pull down, raze," from dē- de- + mōlīrī "to labor to bring about, strive, build, construct." probably derivative of mōlēs "large mass, massive structure, effort, exertion" — more at mole entry 4

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of demolish was in 1560

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demolish. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

demolish

verb
de·​mol·​ish di-ˈmäl-ish How to pronounce demolish (audio)
b
: to break to pieces : smash 2 : to do away with : put an end to
demolisher noun
demolishment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on demolish

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