Synonyms of devastation

devastation

noun

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

• destruction
• havoc
• loss
• extinction
• demolition
• extermination
• annihilation
• obliteration
• decimation
• wreckage
• desolation
• ruin
• wastage
• ruination
• collapse
• demolishment
• disintegration
• mincemeat
• depredation
• massacre
• slaughter
• breakup
• despoliation
• despoilment
• dissolution
• execution
• killing
• assassination
• eradication
• dismantlement
• effacement

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• construction
• building
• erection
• salvation
• saving
• rescue
• raising
• protection
• salvage
• conservation
• preservation
• restoration
• reconstruction
• reclamation
• renovation
• remodeling
• re-creation
• refurbishment
• regeneracy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of devastation

The mall’s survival amid the community’s devastation was not without controversy given Caruso’s use of private firefighters to ward off the flames. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Security camera photos show the devastation caused by flooding in Metamora, Indiana, where numerous businesses were damaged after severe weather hit on Wednesday. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

The devastation has tested Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was inaugurated just days before the earthquake shook the country's west. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

Climate records show how much precipitation portions of Indiana received, which caused widespread devastation to roads, vehicles, commercial and residential property. — Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 14 Aug. 2026

Fears about environmental devastation, overpopulation, energy depletion, and a nuclear holocaust were omnipresent, manifested in books such as The Population Bomb, the back-to-the-land movement, and the entire Hollywood disaster-movie genre. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026

Stefano Cerio’s outdoor photography installation about the devastation wrecked by wildfires was nearly engulfed in a real wildfire on Saturday, reported Artribune. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

The devastation revived memories of the 1999 earthquake that killed nearly 1,200 people in Colombia’s coffee-growing region. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026

The quake, centered near San Jose Del Palmar, caused widespread devastation, trapping people, triggering landslides, and severely damaging homes and infrastructure. — Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026