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
Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 12 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
Even if Waukesha County had decided to sell the property instead of demolishing for residential use, Shaver said there likely would have been a RFP process.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The project requires demolishing the historic Odd Fellows Building, the subject of a long legal battle.
—Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 28 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
An image taken on August 19 shows Israeli excavators and bulldozers demolishing buildings in Zeitoun.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 12 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
Even if Waukesha County had decided to sell the property instead of demolishing for residential use, Shaver said there likely would have been a RFP process.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The project requires demolishing the historic Odd Fellows Building, the subject of a long legal battle.
—Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishing
Verb
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The military has also been targeting and destroying high-rise buildings surrounding displacement camps, crowding Gaza City’s residents into ever-smaller spaces.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Ultimately, North was found guilty of destroying official documents, accepting a home security system as a gift and obstructing Congress in 1989.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Car designers love them for not ruining the lines of the door with the necessities of real life, but is the benefit from drag reduction worth the safety risk?—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
10 Sep. 2025
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And broadcasting your irritation too loudly risks ruining the atmosphere for everyone else just as much as their yelling or off-key chants.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The group also recently stepped out together at a University of Cincinnati football game, which just so happened to be Swift and Kelce’s first public outing since announcing their plans to get married with an internet-shattering post on Instagram in August.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
16 Sep. 2025
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Pamela Warner, mother and manager of the late actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, reflected on the life-shattering moment her son had untimely passed away.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The wrecking begins when Carey (Marvin), Paul’s best friend, ill-advisedly sleeps with Julie—and then, more ill-advisedly still, confesses it to Paul the next day.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 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
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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
-
From the Luddites smashing looms in 19th-century England to autoworkers walking out over the introduction of robots to the factory floor in the 1980s, resistance has flared before either being crushed or subsiding, giving way to the new economies and social orders the technologies ushered in.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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The 40th anniversary of John Farnham’s record-smashing 1986 album Whispering Jack will be celebrated with a new musical.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As health restrictions discouraged people from blowing directly into instruments, Gajewski and Brown reimagined the design.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
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Soldiers have also been spotted in parks carrying out tasks typically assigned to gardeners and landscapers – shoveling mulch, blowing leaves and scooping up trash.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The developing cauldron would trap Russian troops with few options beyond surrender or destruction.—
David Kirichenko,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Earth, meanwhile, has so far been unable to bring about its own destruction.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demolishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishing. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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