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
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Recent Examples of devastation
In 1983, O’Brien testified before Congress about the devastation of the disease, which her father had been one of the first celebrities to be diagnosed with.
—
Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
In addition to unleashing intense winds, Melissa produced catastrophic flooding, destructive storm surge and widespread economic devastation.
—Jacqueline Charles, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2026
Newsom’s comments come in light of the devastation in Gaza and the ongoing war with Iran.
—Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 4 Mar. 2026
Mayreau's permanent population of only about 300 residents is working diligently to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Beryl in 2024.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
What father would ever allow such devastation, assuring fellow patriarchs that their lives without sons would be ruined forever?
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
The Moon’s orbit would never decay so neatly, nor would tidal forces wait until impact to cause massive devastation.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
The devastation and displacement placed tremendous strain on Israel’s internal cohesion—and applied more and more pressure to its leader.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
The findings, published in the journal Nature, reveal a world recovering from devastation and teeming with strange, soft-bodied creatures whose delicate features were frozen in stone with astonishing detail.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
In addition to unleashing intense winds, Melissa produced catastrophic flooding, destructive storm surge and widespread economic devastation.
—Jacqueline Charles, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2026
Newsom’s comments come in light of the devastation in Gaza and the ongoing war with Iran.
—Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 4 Mar. 2026
Mayreau's permanent population of only about 300 residents is working diligently to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Beryl in 2024.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
What father would ever allow such devastation, assuring fellow patriarchs that their lives without sons would be ruined forever?
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
The Moon’s orbit would never decay so neatly, nor would tidal forces wait until impact to cause massive devastation.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
The devastation and displacement placed tremendous strain on Israel’s internal cohesion—and applied more and more pressure to its leader.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
The findings, published in the journal Nature, reveal a world recovering from devastation and teeming with strange, soft-bodied creatures whose delicate features were frozen in stone with astonishing detail.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastation
Noun
-
Oil prices could soar above $100 over the coming days or weeks if the Iran war continues, analysts said, potentially rising even higher if any destruction of oil infrastructure or transit routes appears long-lasting.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
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Designed for maximum destruction, heavy-hitter Khorramshahr carries a massive 1,500 kg (3,300-pound) warhead with a 2,000 km (1,240 miles) range.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Service on the Rockaway Shuttle resumed around noon after an early-morning power outage on the peninsula played havoc with the shuttle’s signals.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The historic winter storm dumping up to 2 feet of snow in the Northeast is causing air travel havoc across the country.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Orlando was coming off a 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Ferris, who pitched 1-2/3 scoreless innings in his second Cactus League start Saturday in the Dodgers’ 7-6 split-squad loss to the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium, noticed the contrast going from the Cubs to the Dodgers.—
Jack Vita,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the specter of extinction, either from external or internal means, hovers not just over each of us, but over our whole civilization.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Monarchs now flutter on the threshold of extinction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to the Anne Frank House, 25% of visitors in Amsterdam are from the United States, and American support helped save the building from demolition in the 1950s.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
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Preservationists, afraid that significant architecture may fall to the wrecking ball, have alleged that Miami Beach’s historic-preservation ordinance essentially allows demolition without city approval.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devastation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastation. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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