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
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Her mother, Marlene LaMar, who had helped organize hundreds of volunteers for years to search through fields and gullies after Sierra vanished in 2012, said Saturday she was too devastated to speak about the ruling.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2026
Andrea Hagan, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
The unrest devastated the neighborhood.
—George Motz, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
Adjective
Standing outside her Brooklyn home on Friday, a devastated Wright struggled to understand how the driver who hit her child could be so uncaring.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Her mother, Marlene LaMar, who had helped organize hundreds of volunteers for years to search through fields and gullies after Sierra vanished in 2012, said Saturday she was too devastated to speak about the ruling.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
The 2025 cuts are substantially larger and more targeted, and have devastated some groups.
—Andrea Hagan, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
The unrest devastated the neighborhood.
—George Motz, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastated
Verb
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The majority of those moves in that 2020 season were necessitated by the team seeing nearly one-third of its roster ravaged and only having so many options to fill spots.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
-
The Mosquito Fire of 2022 had ravaged more than seventy-six thousand acres in Placer and El Dorado Counties.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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The 24 staff members in Ruiz Verduzco’s office are tasked with assisting victims and their families, establishing programs in communities destroyed by violence and drumming up financial support.—
Molly Quell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The feeling overwhelmed him even as his jaw ached and his throat compressed in the second quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 114-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Sunday.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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Building a Chaos Innovation Muscle Most organizations are overwhelmed by cultural chaos.—
Sarah DaVanzo,
Rolling Stone,
11 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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Upon arrival, police discovered Sheppard’s storm door shattered and the main door ajar.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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The same district whose tragedy nearly shattered a community, yet set in place the lives — good or bad, right or wrong — and legacies that followed.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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In recent days, refugees have begun returning to wrecked villages and towns.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The facility was demolished in 1960 to make way for a city water plant extension.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
9 May 2026
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The house was set to be demolished after Sprague died, but instead it was purchased and partially restored by Roger and Mary Mildred DeWitt in the 1960s.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Rosenqvist tried to drive through the wreck, but his vehicle was too damaged.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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If the tire has a puncture or is too damaged to hold enough air to ride on, Gutierrez suggests learning how to use a patch kit to cover small holes or learn how to replace the tube.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devastated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastated. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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