as in wrecking
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demolishing
Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2025
Tara Molina, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
The plans accommodate through-running train capacity without demolishing the neighborhood south of Penn.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Shooting and beating American citizens in the streets, demolishing history, covering up obvious crimes, threatening our allies, targeting political adversaries and using the office for personal enrichment are just a few things that have occurred and gone unchecked by powers that control Congress.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026
At the end of last year, a group of preservationists filed a similar lawsuit seeking to prevent the administration from demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to build a ballroom — a project estimated to cost $400 million.
—Safiyah Riddle, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
At the end of last year, a group of preservationists filed a similar lawsuitseeking to prevent the administration from demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to build a ballroom — a project slated to cost $400 million.
—Safiyah Riddle, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
At the end of last year, a group of preservationists filed a similar lawsuit seeking to prevent the administration from demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to build a ballroom — a project slated to cost $400.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
The village is demolishing homes to make way for the redevelopment and will relocate residents elsewhere on campus, Timberlake said.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
The project calls for demolishing a 1949 single-family home and building a 2,500-square-foot contemporary building to be used as a Jewish ritual pool for women for spiritual purification.
—Lauren Costantino
february 11, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
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
Converting Gary Works to an Electric Arc Furnace facility would mean shutting down the entire plant, demolishing it, and building new facilities.
—Tara Molina, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
The plans accommodate through-running train capacity without demolishing the neighborhood south of Penn.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Shooting and beating American citizens in the streets, demolishing history, covering up obvious crimes, threatening our allies, targeting political adversaries and using the office for personal enrichment are just a few things that have occurred and gone unchecked by powers that control Congress.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026
At the end of last year, a group of preservationists filed a similar lawsuit seeking to prevent the administration from demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to build a ballroom — a project estimated to cost $400 million.
—Safiyah Riddle, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
At the end of last year, a group of preservationists filed a similar lawsuitseeking to prevent the administration from demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to build a ballroom — a project slated to cost $400 million.
—Safiyah Riddle, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
At the end of last year, a group of preservationists filed a similar lawsuit seeking to prevent the administration from demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to build a ballroom — a project slated to cost $400.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
The village is demolishing homes to make way for the redevelopment and will relocate residents elsewhere on campus, Timberlake said.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
The project calls for demolishing a 1949 single-family home and building a 2,500-square-foot contemporary building to be used as a Jewish ritual pool for women for spiritual purification.
—Lauren Costantino
february 11, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishing
Noun
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At least, there was a lot less wrecking.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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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
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The firestorm ravaged Pacific Palisades and Altadena, killing 31, destroying more than 16,000 structures and contaminating others with toxins and heavy metals.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Special prosecutors indict Kim Keon Hee and former Prime Minister Han on charges of abetting Yoon’s imposition of martial law, falsifying and destroying official documents and lying under oath.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Doomscrolling was ruining my life.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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Wednesday was a repeat, with flies and rodent poop ruining the callback inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And, showcasing their awesome, frightening power, one avalanche derailed a train in Switzerland on Monday, injuring five on board, while another swept through a refuge on a French mountainside earlier this month, shattering windows and dumping snowdrifts inside the building’s kitchen.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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His head reportedly struck the tree, shattering his helmet.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The introduction of rats, dogs, cats and stoats, as well as hunting by people and destruction of native forest habitats, drove species of the country’s flourishing flightless birds — the kakapo among them — to near or complete extinction.—
Charlotte Graham-McLay,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Speaking with Spanish language sports publication Diario Deportivo Diez the day after the Honduran club football’s worst defeat in CONCACAF, Bubara lauded LAFC for the 6-1 destruction.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Heavy equipment has been razing the multi-level concrete parking garage at 99 Founders Plaza for the past several weeks, and then will tear down the 150,000-square-foot former Bank of America offices.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
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In response, the city endorsed a plan to clear major sections of the waterfront for a federal highway — razing industrial sites and promising construction jobs, but at the cost of irreplaceable historic sites along Baltimore’s waterfront.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Intriguingly, the lunar surface is littered with craters that record the chaotic early days of the solar system when planets and asteroids were smashing into one another.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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Images and videos flooded social media of immigration law enforcement’s violent encounters with protesters, including shooting rubber bullets, spraying chemical agents at close range and smashing car windows.—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Most hotel treatments are nice but not mind blowing—these were.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
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Coney Island live cam See blowing snow along the boardwalk and shoreline at Coney Island.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishing. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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