1
as in destroys
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 demolishes
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 overwhelms
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
we were devastated by the awful news of his death
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastates
Verb
-
Development not only disturbs or destroys the soil, but wipes out habitat.—
Carl R. Gold,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025 -
First, allowing utilities to own generation destroys the competitive market.—
Mary Beth Tung,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Implementing more change than an organization needs unnecessarily complicates processes, overwhelms employees and increases costs.—
Manoj Balraj,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
This method overwhelms the media and exhausts many Americans who cannot easily absorb so much information at once.—
Jennifer Mercieca,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Devastates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastates. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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