lay waste to

idiom

: to cause very bad damage to (something)

The fire laid waste to the land.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Stepan Holovko, an Azov soldier fighting to defend Mariupol since the war began, said the Ukrainians inflicted heavy losses on Russian infantry, prompting Russian forces to lay waste to the city using tactics previously seen in Syria or Chechnya. —Vivian Salama, WSJ, 17 May 2022

Yet, Wilder still has that devastating one-punch knockout power that could lay waste to any fighter at any time. —Josh Katzowitz, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021

And on that sweet bed of nothing, and only that sweet bed of nothing, Drexel and its allies were able to lay waste to corporate America. —Bob Ivry, Town & Country, 3 June 2021

Fenyx faces Typhon, a powerful titan once imprisoned in Tartarus who manages to escape and lay waste to the mythological gods. —Gieson Cacho, Star Tribune, 9 Dec. 2020

This was the entertainment machine that would lay waste to your friends. —Dia Lacina, Wired, 5 Nov. 2020

Portland Trail Blazers’ guard Damian Lillard lay waste to three opposing defenses over five days to the tune of 154 points anticipating that the two teams could meet again at the NBA bubble. —oregonlive, 15 Aug. 2020

Their intense tropical sun and high humidity could lay waste to even the most modern and high-tech of buildings if left untouched for centuries. —Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 2 May 2023

The scholar, fully corrupted by the flowers’ magic and seeing himself as a God-King, simultaneously proceeds to lay waste to all challengers in his quest for world domination. —Jeff Ewing, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2021

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