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
Royce Lewis is demolishing Triple-A pitching. Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 3 June 2026 In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home. Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026 In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home. ABC News, 9 June 2026 Indeed, many media observers—inside and outside the network—have gone so far as to suggest that demolishing the status quo seems to be central to Weiss’s mandate. Claire Zillman, Fortune, 12 June 2026 Digital Realty already began demolishing the inside of the building, so Gray believed the agreement was set. Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 27 June 2026 Other projects at Capital High include a boiler replacement, which involves asbestos abatement and demolishing the old boiler, and installing new bleachers in its auxiliary gym. Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 9 June 2026 But everyday people expressed their political outrage time and again, throwing rocks at and demolishing the houses of government officials, torching the king’s ships and forts and, eventually, marching to battle. Robert Parkinson, The Conversation, 24 June 2026 During that 25-day closure, PennDOT crews will be demolishing the existing Commercial Street Bridge and sliding in the new bridge, which has been constructed alongside the Parkway East outside of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. Mike Darnay, CBS News, 24 June 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
  • Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
    Kori McNair, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • After all, plenty of cocktail enthusiasts already complain about mosquitoes ruining a summer evening.
    Emily Price, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • SoCal’s housing market growth SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has unleashed a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • Rodríguez said authorities have recorded 862 aftershocks since the main quakes and confirmed that 189 buildings collapsed completely nationwide, the vast majority in La Guaira, the coastal state that suffered the worst destruction.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Our previous card featured the fiery destruction of the Missouri Pacific depot in 1909.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • The historic designation effectively saved the building from demolition, but only for three years, at which point the brothers were no longer bound by any restrictions on razing the home to the ground.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • Djokovic became so frustrated that he was given a code violation warning for smashing a racket, before eventually hauling himself over the line.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan joined in the fun Friday, serving and smashing with a paddle in a San Jose Earthquakes jersey.
    Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • Technically, officials said, blowing past the deadline means Alameda County is no longer in exclusive negotiations with the Oakland Acquisition Company.
    Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
  • But rather than cede ground to an outsider, the town's residents plant TNT in every single structure, blowing them up before Lassiter can get his hands on them.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Demolishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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