1
as in to destroy
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
developers demolished the old warehouse to make room for the new shopping mall
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the buildings in the town had been demolished in the bombing raid
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
terrorists used a powerful pipe bomb to demolish the concrete wall around the compound
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demolish
That’s when the three 1960s buildings that displayed it were demolished to make way for a replacement structure by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
—
David Allen, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
That includes an owner proposing to demolish a building with local historic status.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Those sweaters have so much mojo, as shown by Allen just demolishing what looked to be a Corona.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
In simple terms, the concept was to demolish the North Stand and construct a new one.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
David Allen, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
That includes an owner proposing to demolish a building with local historic status.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Those sweaters have so much mojo, as shown by Allen just demolishing what looked to be a Corona.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
In simple terms, the concept was to demolish the North Stand and construct a new one.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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Similarly, corruption or physical damage might destroy a file’s header, which contains its identifying metadata, while leaving other parts of it untouched.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The Jeep crashed into a concrete barrier after clipping the other car, destroying part of the barrier, Adams County Fire Rescue officials said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These tenacious insects discreetly land on your skin, leaving sudden, itchy, and painful bites that can swell and turn red, ruining a perfectly pleasant outdoor evening.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
18 Apr. 2026
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Who knew that an attempt to ruin Iran’s navy and army would result in the demilitarization of the West?—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Word of Smith’s death had shattered his family, especially his father, who can’t believe his son is gone.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
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The incredible true story of Takeru Kobayashi — or how a skinny 22-year-old from Japan shattered world records at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest and catapulted the fringe spectacle of competitive eating into a wildly lucrative American sports phenomenon.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But what happens if the Epstein-files story razes the entire forest, torching whatever trust is left in the political establishment, the Democratic Party very much included?—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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The killings are among a spate of attacks on Palestinian schools or schoolchildren in the West Bank in recent days, which have seen a school building razed to the ground and, in a separate incident, settlers putting up razor wire to block children as young as five from getting to school.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Celeste’s family was overwhelmed and devastated to hear details of the allegations against d4vd during his arraignment on Monday, their attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, told CNN.—
Andi Babineau,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
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The county hired a big-shot San Francisco law firm to fight against its own hardworking people whose lives were devastated two years ago.—
Kristine Alessio,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But as anyone who’s dropped a mug knows, ceramics are also brittle and prone to smashing.—
Caitlin Kennedy,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2026
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Police said three men wearing masks and all black clothing entered the open business and allegedly used a hammer to smash out several glass panels.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Depending on the position, that option can wreck a salary cap.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Girls getting wrecked on prom night?—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Mets, who are a close second to LA with a $370 million payroll and over $500 million due in payments this year thanks to the luxury tax, have now lost 11 straight games after blowing a ninth inning lead to the Cubs on Sunday.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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Matt Strahm struck out the side in the eighth inning, but Erceg allowed three walks and blew a save opportunity.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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