1
as in destroying
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 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
as in wrecking
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Recent Examples of demolishing
Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2025
Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Preservationists stepped in to keep the company from its standard practice of demolishing a vacant building.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 18 Sep. 2025
The new owner started demolishing it last year, as the Free Press reported.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 15 Sep. 2025
About 90% of the former Spring Hill Mall is gone and work demolishing the final anchor store set to begin in the next couple of weeks, officials said.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
After filing the first lawsuit, attorney Katie Steele of Varghese Summersett also sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the owners from removing or destroying tenants’ property from the units, or demolishing the building, and to preserve critical evidence in the case.
—Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
The Chiefs and Buccaneers met in the Super Bowl during the 2020 season, with Tom Brady's Bucs demolishing Mahomes' crew.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Rather than demolishing it or trying to carefully disassemble it for the move, the decision was made to simply jack it up and wheel it across town.
—New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2025
Disney World has begun demolishing its version of Tom Sawyer Island to make way for two new Cars attractions.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Noun
Tens of thousands have been fleeing the city, which has seen Israel demolishing high-rise buildings.
—Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Preservationists stepped in to keep the company from its standard practice of demolishing a vacant building.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 18 Sep. 2025
The new owner started demolishing it last year, as the Free Press reported.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 15 Sep. 2025
About 90% of the former Spring Hill Mall is gone and work demolishing the final anchor store set to begin in the next couple of weeks, officials said.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
After filing the first lawsuit, attorney Katie Steele of Varghese Summersett also sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the owners from removing or destroying tenants’ property from the units, or demolishing the building, and to preserve critical evidence in the case.
—Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025
The Chiefs and Buccaneers met in the Super Bowl during the 2020 season, with Tom Brady's Bucs demolishing Mahomes' crew.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Rather than demolishing it or trying to carefully disassemble it for the move, the decision was made to simply jack it up and wheel it across town.
—New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2025
Disney World has begun demolishing its version of Tom Sawyer Island to make way for two new Cars attractions.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishing
Verb
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Since then, the Internet has gone about its immemorial business of destroying all incumbent forms of media; not content with vampirizing print, the digital space began sucking the life from pay-TV a dozen years ago.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Critics say returning the company without meaningful payment undercuts accountability and the compensatory purpose of the judgments; others note trustees and Judge Lopez have to avoid value-destroying, prolonged processes.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Or pursue the rancid criminal element across the galaxy as a bounty hunter, making your fortune by ruining bad guys' lives.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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So much so that the official Carol Burnett Show YouTube channel has several 15-minute salutes of Burnett, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and others busting up and ruining the bit.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For leftovers, there’s a set of glass Pyrex containers that can be placed in the freezer or microwave with no worries about shattering.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
-
So to decide whether to marry or move on for good, one person issues an ultimatum, kicking off a potentially relationship-shattering experiment.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
After Fred VanVleet tore his ACL less than two weeks before the start of training camp, Houston started preparing for the possibility that Amen Thompson — a 6-foot-7 defensive wrecking ball — could slide into the starting point guard role.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The earthquake devastated neighboring Kunar province, razing three villages, Reuters reported, citing local authorities.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Here was an example of humans’ chopping, razing, paving, crushing ways that have mortally wounded the natural world.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The 28-year-old provided another example with his second goal of the game, beating Robin Koch and smashing Bayern’s third into the top corner, late in the second half.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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In addition to smashing the Machine, Swift also easily soared over Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed One Battle After Another, the Leonardo DiCaprio-starring drama that fell to second place in week two.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Equating your value to your bank account, or blowing cash to feel validated.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
-
He and his apprentices host glass- blowing classes on Fridays and Saturdays (reservation required), when guests can make anything from a bowl to a tumbler to an ornament.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Shackleton blamed the sinking of the Endurance on the destruction of its rudder; for more than a century, historians accepted this explanation.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
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They’re often greeted with the sight of their mischievous pup climbing onto furniture or causing destruction while unattended.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishing. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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