demolishing 1 of 2

demolishing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of demolish
1
2
as in ruining
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 shattering
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of demolishing
Noun
In the filing, Omni Hotels outlined a five-year timeframe that would get the site fully designed, permitted and prepared for construction, noting construction would not start until at least five years after the demolishing of the buildings on site. Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Trump has faced widespread criticism for demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make room for the grand ballroom design. Callum Sutherland, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Despite being identified decades ago, the exact trigger of the joint-demolishing condition is still unclear. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 At least one person was arrested for trespassing in connection with an earlier protest to stop contractors from demolishing the other trees. Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 July 2026 City officials determined the collision had damaged the bridge beyond repair and began demolishing it Tuesday. Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 29 July 2026 LeVota previously said that a new use could involve either refurbishing one or both of the stadiums, or demolishing one or both entirely. Ilana Arougheti july 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026 At the same time, Israeli soldiers have intensified their incursions across the West Bank, arresting more than 100 Palestinians and demolishing homes. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026 Concerns over demolishing the Excelsior Club The decision to demolish has sparked tension with local preservationists and historians. Claire Harutunian, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026 Beyond the environmental costs, demolishing and hauling away the remnants of huge buildings is especially expensive in dense cities such as New York. ABC News, 10 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishing
Noun
  • At least, there was a lot less wrecking.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The show was filmed across Northern Ireland, and the weather proved to be brutal, with the rain constantly destroying sets that had to be rebuilt.
    Matt Minton, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Ukrainian defenders repelled the attack and posted video footage of their kamikaze drone strikes destroying at least seven T-72B3A tanks, including some that carried the Arena-M system, according to Euromaidan Press.
    Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This allegedly caused the cancellation of school recesses, and also ruining weddings and funerals.
    Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Tibbetts wants fans to blame outside agitators for ruining the league's momentum.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, epidemiologist Susan Mayne said the government has responded slowly to the record-shattering outbreak that started in May, which demonstrates how the nation's federal food safety programs are in disarray.
    Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Majdi described his son’s birth in near-metaphysical terms, his own grief as shattering.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Despite the destruction, officials said no injuries had been reported in the city.
    Ross DiMattei, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Her home was not damaged during the back-to-back hurricanes that hit Florida in 2024, but many people close to her experienced flooding and other destruction to their homes, businesses and schools.
    Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In March, Nebraska’s Morrill Fire tore through 642,000 acres to become the largest in state history, killing one person and razing vast stretches of cattle country.
    Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • By the late 1980s, McAuley’s days clearly were numbered, as the DuPage County Airport Authority, in the midst of a major expansion, began buying and razing most of the remaining homes in the McAuley district.
    Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Verb
  • Other robots were not so successful, with some tripping, falling and smashing into pieces during competitions or even catching fire.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • This summer has seen record-smashing heatwaves across Europe, huge wildfires from Spain and France to Canada, which have released deadly pollutants into the air, and yet more extreme heat from Africa to Asia.
    Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Since then, more suits across the country have followed, blowing huge holes into NCAA eligibility rules, new and old.
    Justin Williams, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Although skies are still smoky across portions of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, not much is blowing east of there.
    Ben Noll, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Demolishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishing. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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