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
At a time when the football commentariat in Italy is proposing that the entire system of Italian football be demolished, Sassuolo act as a reminder than not all is bad.
—
James Horncastle, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Under Napoleon, the monastery was demolished and the island was adapted to a military outpost, with powder magazines, weapons depots, and defensive structures rising on the land.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026
Three other homes on the property were demolished.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Cityview has applied for a permit to demolish the building.
—Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
James Horncastle, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Under Napoleon, the monastery was demolished and the island was adapted to a military outpost, with powder magazines, weapons depots, and defensive structures rising on the land.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026
Three other homes on the property were demolished.
—Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Cityview has applied for a permit to demolish the building.
—Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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Onions can be used as a companion plant to carrots to keep away the destructive carrot fly, a pest that can stunt the growth of carrots and even destroy entire plantings.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2026
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If an Entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or destroyed, entrant’s sole remedy shall be another entry into the Sweepstakes.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
10 May 2026
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On Friday, a pitchers’ duel was ruined by a circus act of an inning, and the Cardinals beat the Padres 6-0.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Around the same time as the engagement photo shoots, the brides-to-be start mending their porcelain plates, which were ceremoniously shattered so the brides-to-be could mend them.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
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When her husband Karl finds her after years of searching, that hope is shattered, forcing her to return to Vienna – into a society that once sought to erase her.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
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In 1985, an explosion in the basement of a Ross department store—caused by an unventilated buildup of methane gas underneath the store—razed several city blocks and injured twenty-three people.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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Two boys once triggered a catastrophe – a fireworks mishap that razed an apartment complex and claimed the wife and child of one of its residents, a man named Nomoto, who also suffered grievous burns.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 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
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Sarah Konwahahawi Herne was devastated.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
14 May 2026
Verb
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High-rise timber construction continues to grow in popularity worldwide, with Australia's incredible Atlassian Central wooden skyscraper due to smash all records once completed.—
Adam Williams
May 09,
New Atlas,
9 May 2026
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By that evening, TV news stations broadcasted images of the bus smashed into the ground, leaving little room to imagine how those trapped inside could have possibly escaped.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 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
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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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But second-year point guard Carla Leite, who had hurt her ankle earlier in the evening, blew by Jones in isolation to tie the score 96-96 with 27 seconds to play.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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