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
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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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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
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
27 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.
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Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
24 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.
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Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home.
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Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
10 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.
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Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
9 June 2026
In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home.
—
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Royce Lewis is demolishing Triple-A pitching.
—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
3 June 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
Digital Realty already began demolishing the inside of the building, so Gray believed the agreement was set.
—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
27 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
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
In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home.
—
Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
10 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
In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home.
—
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Royce Lewis is demolishing Triple-A pitching.
—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishing
Noun
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At least, there was a lot less wrecking.
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The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.
Verb
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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.
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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.
Verb
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The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
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Adidas’s everyday sneakers can handle 20,000 steps without ruining an outfit, perfectly balancing cool with comfy.
Verb
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SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has minted thousands of new millionaires, unleashing a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
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The record-shattering heat waves in Europe last week and in the western US in March are two recent examples.
Noun
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David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, told the the Washington Post he was arrested on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.
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This came on the heels of another round of tornadoes just four days earlier that leveled buildings and caused widespread destruction across the region.
Verb
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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.
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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.
Verb
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Powell is accused of smashing the mug over the victim's head.
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France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week at the height of its record-smashing heat wave, the country's public health agency said Sunday, as the head of the World Health Organization warned that Europe is now the fastest-warming continent and needs to do more to protect its citizens.
Verb
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
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Royce Lewis slipped an RBI single up the middle in the 10th inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Colorado Rockies 9-8 on Friday night after blowing a seven-run lead.
Cite this Entry
“Demolishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishing. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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