desolating

verb

present participle of desolate
as in devastating
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of totally desolated the city with aerial bombs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolating
  1. devastating
  2. destroying
  3. shattering
  4. ruining
  5. demolishing
  6. wrecking
  7. smashing
  8. damaging
Verb
  • Lionel Messi has donated €80,000 ($92,200) to the reconstruction efforts of Madrid’s Sierra Oeste region following devastating wildfires in the area.
    — Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Authorities in Washington have arrested a man for arson in connection with one of the major wildfires devastating the eastern part of the state, which has destroyed hundreds of homes and forced tens of thousands to flee.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • Gen gets to bust out her flapper dress only to witness the most horrific, awful, potentially career-destroying failure … the caviar, oysters, and bread are all crowded onto the bread plate.
    — Emma Soren, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The three were accused of destroying property of value less than $1,000.
    — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • With each passing episode of its second season, Sugar has been leading its title character to the same mind-and-spirit-shattering dilemma.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Water levels in Budapest sunk to 4 inches Monday, shattering the previous record low of 13 inches set in 2018, according to the Associated Press.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of shattering
Verb
  • But therein lies the problem with ruining baseball and predicting the World Series in August.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Tarik Skubal did not go into last week expecting to be the latest avatar for the Los Angeles Dodgers ruining baseball.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruining
Verb
  • Despite being identified decades ago, the exact trigger of the joint-demolishing condition is still unclear.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
  • At least one person was arrested for trespassing in connection with an earlier protest to stop contractors from demolishing the other trees.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of demolishing
Verb
  • Come for the timeliness, stay for Cap wrecking a bunch of guys in an elevator.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Long-distance backpacking is having a moment, and readers planning a first thru-hike want to know how to prepare without wrecking their body, their gear budget or their trip.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
Definition of wrecking
Verb
  • Nick Loftin then doubled in the third before Caglianone hit his 21st homer of the season to right, smashing a hanging slider for a 410-foot shot that induced grumbles from the stands.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The Public Defender's Office said Govindbhai, without double-checking the plate numbers, walked to the driver's side door and struck the window with his baton four times, smashing the glass.
    — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of smashing
Verb
  • There are different types of algae scrapers for both glass and acrylic fish tanks, so choose accordingly to avoid scratching or damaging the aquarium.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Use low-pressure water to avoid damaging the aluminum fins and causing performance issues.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of damaging
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.

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desolates
desolating
desolation
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Cite this Entry

“Desolating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolating. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of desolating for Spanish Speakers

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