raze

1 of 2

verb

ˈrāz 

razed; razing

transitive verb

1

: to destroy to the ground : demolish

raze an old building

2

a

: to scrape, cut, or shave off

b

archaic : erase

razer noun

razer

2 of 2

noun

raz·​er ˈrā-zər 

plural -s

: one that razes

Synonyms of raze

Verb

• demolish
• destroy
• ruin
• shatter
• devastate

Examples of raze in a Sentence

Verb

an entire city block razed by a terrible fire

the developer razed the old school building and built a high-rise condominium complex

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Ultimately Carell and his wife opted to raze the house in favor of a Cape Cod–style custom build, which was completed in 2013. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 28 Sep. 2026

Castles and stately homes were blown up, towns put under siege and their walls razed, churches stripped. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

In the course of three weeks, Israeli soldiers destroyed much of the area, razing schools and mosques and commandeering buildings for use as military posts. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Portman first proposed its revamp of Amsterdam Walk in 2023, intending to raze the aging warehouses to build a more dense and vertical project centered on apartments. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of rase

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for raze

• baize
• bays
• blase
• blaze
• braes
• braze
• chaise
• claes
• clays
• craze
• dais
• days

Kids Definition

raze

verb

ˈrāz 

razed; razing

: to destroy completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces : demolish

razed the building