as in destroyed
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1
as in ravaged
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ruined
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the explosion devastated an entire city block
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
we were devastated by the awful news of his death
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devastated
Alex Ritman, Variety, 16 May 2026
Rescue workers ended search operations at the devastated building, which was struck this week during Russia’s heaviest air attack on the Ukrainian capital this year.
—Reuters, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Needless to say Roher was devastated, if not surprised, by Alexei Navalny’s death.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
Adjective
As her lie begins to unravel, her hunger for validation spirals into something far darker, drawing a devastated father into a desperate search and exposing a culture more obsessed with spectacle than consequence.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 16 May 2026
Rescue workers ended search operations at the devastated building, which was struck this week during Russia’s heaviest air attack on the Ukrainian capital this year.
—Reuters, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Verb
On a positive note, Cheatham said the Orlando community came together to support those devastated by the shooting.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Needless to say Roher was devastated, if not surprised, by Alexei Navalny’s death.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastated
Verb
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After the flood When floods ravaged the Asheville area, the neighborhood went three weeks without electricity and six weeks without running water.—
Jessica Blough,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
-
The April 8th strikes ravaged a range of sites across the country.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Verb
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Beyond the physical destruction, the Great War, as it was then known, destroyed a world where many people believed in progress and gradual advance and replaced it with a cynical and desperate world, in which nations and ideologies were natural and necessary enemies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
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Trump has repeatedly said Iran would not receive any sanctions relief until its stockpile of fissile material is removed and destroyed.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Judges report receiving violent threats and intimidation tactics—including death threats and unsolicited pizzas sent to their homes—following adverse rulings against the administration, with federal marshal services overwhelmed by a 78% increase in threats against judges over four years.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
She has been overwhelmed by emotions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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His choices allow the viewer to drink in the intimate details of the ruined world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The former Iowa Hawkeyes star shattered scoring records in college, transformed women's basketball into a national phenomenon and has continued rewriting the WNBA record book since arriving in 2024.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
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The team features Megan Grant, the Bruins' two-sport athlete who shattered Lauren Espinoza's 31-year-old single-season home run record in the Big Ten Softball Tournament and extended it to 40 home runs, outlasting Oklahoma's Kendall Wells for the record.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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For days, no one connected the wrecked car to Marcus.—
Edie Peffley,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
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The three adults on board — pilot Hernán Murcia, Indigenous leader Herman Mendoza Hernández and Magdalena — were found dead when Colombian soldiers located the wrecked plane two weeks after the crash.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Israeli forces now control large areas in southern Lebanon and have demolished homes and historical sites.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
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Two other properties were purchased in 2024, one of which was a barbershop that was demolished, and a third property was purchased in 2025.—
Delia Rose Sauer,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Since Ian, Orange County has deepened stormwater ponds in the area and repaired damaged pumps to improve flood storage and drainage before future storms.—
Greg Bennett,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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China's space program determined that the damaged spacecraft, Shenzhou 20, did not meet the safety standards necessary to carry astronauts.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devastated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastated. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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