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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demolish
An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.
—
Utkarsh Sood
june 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026
Its building was then demolished.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 12 June 2026
For her trouble, she was demolished in the general election by Jerry Brown, 54-41.
—Garry South, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Residents numbering in the hundreds have fought against plans to demolish their homes and argue Gaudí never intended the avenue and staircase to reach beyond the basilica’s current footprint.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Utkarsh Sood
june 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026
Its building was then demolished.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 12 June 2026
For her trouble, she was demolished in the general election by Jerry Brown, 54-41.
—Garry South, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Residents numbering in the hundreds have fought against plans to demolish their homes and argue Gaudí never intended the avenue and staircase to reach beyond the basilica’s current footprint.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
-
Terminix utilizes the advanced Sentricon baiting system alongside traditional liquid barriers to destroy subterranean colonies entirely.—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The Spurs rose up and ruined that party, winning their only game of the series.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Historically, barrels of Madeira spent months crossing tropical oceans aboard ships, and merchants realized that the heat actually improved the wine rather than ruining it.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The strikes, which Afghanistan's Taliban rulers said hit the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika, shattered more than a month of calm in the war.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
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One woman was accused of throwing a chair through a glass door and shattering it.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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In recent weeks, Lebanon proved to be a particularly sensitive flashpoint, with Israel continuing attacks in southern Lebanon and its ground troops razing towns and villages.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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Because this is about football, the sport that has destroyed rivalries, razed conferences and served up its departmental peers like sacrificial lambs.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Verb
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While several of these positions are vacant to avoid layoffs, representatives said the reductions would nevertheless devastate public safety efforts.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 11,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
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The screwworm could devastate the nation’s cattle industry.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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One video appeared to show two people jumping onto the roof of an NYPD vehicle and smashing its windshield.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Moten says his car, which was parked on the street, was smashed and left totaled.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The six jurors in George Pino’s vessel-homicide and manslaughter trial took a road trip to North Miami on Thursday morning to view his boat, which was wrecked in the crash that killed a teenage girl and severely injured two others.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
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Common errors like picking the wrong rug size, furniture layout, color palette, window treatments, and more can wreck your home decor.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Once the opening whistle blew, all the focus turned to the field.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
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Winds will blow west to southwest at 10 mph with gusts as high as 20 mph.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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