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
Verb
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While an eight-game winning run saw Cherki, Foden and Haaland hit their devastating best, three frustrating draws against Sunderland, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion were characterised by wastefulness in front of goal.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026 -
Group members want to see Bonta’s office take ownership of a review, as occurred in Hawaii after Maui’s devastating Lahaina fire.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The court also convicted Han of falsifying the martial law proclamation and destroying it and lying under oath.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Jan. 2026
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Where, in the springtime, sudden storms send tornadoes tearing through towns, destroying everything in their wake.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Yet for all of Malinin’s athleticism and his Beamonesque ability to take flight what has been most telling in what has already been a world record-shattering Olympic season has been the maturity of his skating, the willingness to take emotional risks in his programs.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
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Bana and Rocha were among the 615 participants in the 27th annual Waukegan Polar Bear Plunge on Thursday at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, shattering the record of 540 set in 2024, and collectively raising more than $20,000 for Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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The video then shows the man asking if the situation was ruining Kaleel's Christmas.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On Thursday morning, crews were nearly finished demolishing the adjacent structures, one of which was damaged by a fire in March 2024.—
Thomas Gounley,
Denver Post,
23 Jan. 2026
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Police forces, alongside enforcement officers from the Israel Land Authority, arrived at the compound with bulldozers and engineering equipment and began demolishing the site, according to footage obtained by CNN.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Luddites are back, wrecking technology in a quixotic effort to stop progress.—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Givaudan initiated the process to receive a wrecking permit in August and has been working over the past few months to get the proper approval from various agencies, including Louisville MSD and the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District.—
Killian Baarlaer,
Louisville Courier Journal,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Typical 30-minute sessions cost between £35 and £70, although some slots can rise to £200, depending on the size of the room and the number of items up for smashing.—
Will Barker,
TheWeek,
22 Jan. 2026
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Bystanders have recorded video of officers using a battering ram to get into a house as well as smashing vehicle windows and dragging people out of cars.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Historical precedent suggests 18-24 months between credibility-damaging foreign policy moments and electoral materialization.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Several other cases remain pending — most notably the high-profile conspiracy charges against six protesters, including several Democratic political candidates, accused of impeding immigration officers and damaging a vehicle outside the Broadview ICE facility in September.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Desolating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolating. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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