as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the sheer devastation of the housing development by the forest fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of devastation
The sheer human devastation witnessed by the half-dozen people pretending to eat their lunch in here could nullify any legitimate emotional experience within twenty city blocks.
—
Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
The frigid weekend left behind a path of devastation, with New York City officials reporting eight deaths stemming from the cold temperatures that resulted in 8 to 15 inches of snow in some neighborhoods, according to FOX 8.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Ever since the New Deal had constructed a meaningful social safety net in response to the devastation of the Great Depression, the rich had sought to weaken labor, shrink the public sector, delegitimize redistributive social policies, deregulate finance and industry, and drive taxes lower.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Written and directed by Isao Takahata, the story follows two orphans who struggle to survive following WWII and the devastation of the Pacific War.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Having fled with her whole family from the devastation of the Syrian Civil War — a missile had destroyed their home in Aleppo — the young girl was trying to earn money for an attempt to cross the Aegean Sea to Greece and then, hopefully, to a new life in Germany.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026
The following year was marked by devastation when the couple’s eggs were eaten by ravens.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
And the heady exploration of themes like human connection, the perils of parenthood and how powerful art can be in the face of devastation.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
As the trial continued, the courtroom listened in silence to the harrowing details of Quatisha's final hours and the emotional devastation left behind.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
The frigid weekend left behind a path of devastation, with New York City officials reporting eight deaths stemming from the cold temperatures that resulted in 8 to 15 inches of snow in some neighborhoods, according to FOX 8.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Ever since the New Deal had constructed a meaningful social safety net in response to the devastation of the Great Depression, the rich had sought to weaken labor, shrink the public sector, delegitimize redistributive social policies, deregulate finance and industry, and drive taxes lower.
—Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Written and directed by Isao Takahata, the story follows two orphans who struggle to survive following WWII and the devastation of the Pacific War.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Having fled with her whole family from the devastation of the Syrian Civil War — a missile had destroyed their home in Aleppo — the young girl was trying to earn money for an attempt to cross the Aegean Sea to Greece and then, hopefully, to a new life in Germany.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026
The following year was marked by devastation when the couple’s eggs were eaten by ravens.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
And the heady exploration of themes like human connection, the perils of parenthood and how powerful art can be in the face of devastation.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
As the trial continued, the courtroom listened in silence to the harrowing details of Quatisha's final hours and the emotional devastation left behind.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastation
Noun
-
In June 2025, EOS demonstrated the destruction of a tank using a Rodeur 330 fitted with an inert warhead, controlled via FPV.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
-
While navigating Westport by car or on foot is chaotic right now, the goal is to prevent destruction in the future.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Meteorologists are forecasting travel havoc this weekend, as a major winter storm is set to slam into the middle and Southern US beginning Friday, January 23.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Max wreaks some more havoc after the excursion by gunning it on the tender while towing guests on the tube.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But those guards fell crashing down on Wednesday night in a brutally honest assessment of his team following Boise State’s (9-6, 1-3 Mountain West) 75-58 home loss to Grand Canyon (9-5, 2-1) at ExtraMile Arena.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Despite the losses, Damon traveled to Texas and won the national title, dedicating the victory to his family and supporters.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Conservationists argue delisting the species would almost certainly lead to its extinction.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Warming temperatures are forcing Antarctic penguins to breed earlier and that’s a big problem for two of the cute tuxedoed species that face extinction by the end of the century, a study said.—
Seth Borenstein,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The bronze doors and concrete walls with remarkably few windows looked ancient, and the building more closely resembled a student dormitory awaiting demolition than an institution where precious cultural assets from around the world were collected and stored.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The mansion’s fate became almost certain when the property owner, the family living next door, requested a demolition permit from the city of Miami Beach.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devastation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastation. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
