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
While vandalism decreased in five of six study areas, disorderly conduct was too common to show any significant decrease.
—
Eric Adler
march 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke out against two recent incidents of vandalism at Catholic churches in Queens as the New York City Police Department investigates the mid-March events as hate crimes.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
The man, who police identified as Ahmet Zaimoglu, of Arnold, was arrested and taken to the Allegheny County Jail on burglary, trespassing, and vandalism charges.
—Josh Taylor, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
The recusal motion is linked to a high-profile felony vandalism case stemming from a June 2024 demonstration in which protesters briefly occupied Stanford University’s executive offices, calling on the school to divest from companies linked to Israel over the war in Gaza.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vandalism
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Eric Adler
march 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke out against two recent incidents of vandalism at Catholic churches in Queens as the New York City Police Department investigates the mid-March events as hate crimes.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
The man, who police identified as Ahmet Zaimoglu, of Arnold, was arrested and taken to the Allegheny County Jail on burglary, trespassing, and vandalism charges.
—Josh Taylor, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
The recusal motion is linked to a high-profile felony vandalism case stemming from a June 2024 demonstration in which protesters briefly occupied Stanford University’s executive offices, calling on the school to divest from companies linked to Israel over the war in Gaza.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vandalism
Cite this Entry
“Vandalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vandalism. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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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