pulverize
verb
pul·ver·ize
ˈpəl-və-ˌrīz 
pulverized; pulverizing
1
: to reduce (as by crushing, beating, or grinding) to very small particles : atomize
pulverize rock
2
: to become pulverized
Synonyms
Examples of pulverize in a Sentence
The mower pulverizes grass clippings.
Bits of pulverized rock filled the air.
Recent Examples on the Web
And is that a sledgehammer about to pulverize a minor character’s head?
—
Andrew Dalton, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
Next, the material goes through a grinder to pulverize large pieces of debris.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2024
Some birds ingest grit—such as little stones, sand or shells—to help pulverize food, but the new species didn’t, per CNN, leaving its method of digestion a mystery.
—Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024
Ukrainian troops described the unique terror of the giant, silent bombs exploding with no warning—and with enough firepower to topple buildings and pulverize bunkers.
—David Axe, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
The slug pulverized her face, destroyed her cheek and jaw, blew away her eye socket and most of her teeth, damaged her optic nerve, wrecked both eyes and left a gaping hole in her cheek.
—USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
Vast sections of Gaza have been pulverized; a fifth of its infrastructure and most of its homes are now damaged or destroyed, leaving the region largely uninhabitable.
—Agnès Callamard, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2024
The flesh comes in two forms, seductively photographed and viciously pulverized.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
The grisly incident encapsulates much of the horror of the moment in Gaza, a territory that has been pulverized by the Israeli military campaign that followed Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7 strike on southern Israel.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Andrew Dalton, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
Next, the material goes through a grinder to pulverize large pieces of debris.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2024
Some birds ingest grit—such as little stones, sand or shells—to help pulverize food, but the new species didn’t, per CNN, leaving its method of digestion a mystery.
—Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024
Ukrainian troops described the unique terror of the giant, silent bombs exploding with no warning—and with enough firepower to topple buildings and pulverize bunkers.
—David Axe, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
The slug pulverized her face, destroyed her cheek and jaw, blew away her eye socket and most of her teeth, damaged her optic nerve, wrecked both eyes and left a gaping hole in her cheek.
—USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024
Vast sections of Gaza have been pulverized; a fifth of its infrastructure and most of its homes are now damaged or destroyed, leaving the region largely uninhabitable.
—Agnès Callamard, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2024
The flesh comes in two forms, seductively photographed and viciously pulverized.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
The grisly incident encapsulates much of the horror of the moment in Gaza, a territory that has been pulverized by the Israeli military campaign that followed Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7 strike on southern Israel.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pulverize.' 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 pulverize
Cite this Entry
“Pulverize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulverize. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pulverize
verb
pul·ver·ize
ˈpəl-və-ˌrīz
pulverized; pulverizing
1
: to beat or grind into a powder or dust
2
: to destroy as if by pulverizing
Medical Definition
pulverize
verb
pul·ver·ize
variants
also British pulverise
pulverized also British pulverised; pulverizing also British pulverising
: to reduce (as by crushing, beating, or grinding) to very small particles
: to become pulverized
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