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
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
He has been given two months to leave his home before it must be entirely demolished.
—
Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 19 May 2026
This caused immediate backlash, particularly as the East Wing was recently demolished during ongoing renovation work.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 16 May 2026
The work included demolishing one stand entirely to create the space required to facilitate those media demands.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 May 2026
The Orchard Street building, which is about 3,000 square feet, has been demolished to its shell.
—Michael Deeds
updated May 14, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 19 May 2026
This caused immediate backlash, particularly as the East Wing was recently demolished during ongoing renovation work.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 16 May 2026
The work included demolishing one stand entirely to create the space required to facilitate those media demands.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 May 2026
The Orchard Street building, which is about 3,000 square feet, has been demolished to its shell.
—Michael Deeds
updated May 14, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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The fire destroyed two structures — a cabin and an equipment shed — and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees, who were rescued by a Santa Barbara County Fire Department helicopter.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Covers personal property used to secure a loan as collateral if it's destroyed.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Since 2015, it has been held in ten different cities, including Las Vegas, where a red carpet was constructed atop the Bellagio’s fountain pool, and Nashville, where rowdy attendees ruined bachelorette parties on Broadway.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Many riads were in a state of disrepair, crammed with striking examples of traditional craftsmanship going to ruin.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
By early afternoon, however, the calm had been shattered by almost two dozen Israeli air strikes.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
Her instinct has been shattered by her breakup.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Israel is razing and looting homes and has vowed to prevent hundreds of thousands of residents, predominantly Shiites, though also members of other religious communities, from returning.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
And what a voice — what an instrument of razing and of raising.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The trouble was that the British economy was fragile—most mortgages in the UK at the time had variable rates, so raising interest rates would devastate British homeowners.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
-
Sarah Konwahahawi Herne was devastated.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Authorities said the suspect then smashed into the store's jewelry counter, stealing nearly $10,000 worth of merchandise before walking out and fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
Suarez was caught on surveillance camera smashing into the Volkswagen Jetta on Amsterdam Ave.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The line was a wrecking crew that also managed to outscore the opposition.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Bubba, by the way, was actually wrecked later in the race by John Hunter Nemechek.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Interestingly, the blowing agent is derived from oyster shells discarded by the seafood industry, and the magnesium and calcium are sourced as natural byproducts of seawater desalination.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
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Arizona had already established a commanding 7-2 lead going into the fourth inning, but the Diamondbacks blew the doors open by putting up a five-spot to take a 10-run lead.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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