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
And that's not where the worst of the devastation lies.
—
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, published in three parts in the magazine in 1962 and later as a book, alerted the country to the devastation of the pesticide DDT and is credited with launching the modern environmental movement.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
In combination with poor construction standards, most building in rural areas are made of mud bricks, this seismic activity can cause widespread devastation.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Sharafat Zaman, the spokesperson for the health ministry in Kabul, called for international aid to tackle the devastation from the quake of magnitude 6 that struck around midnight, at a depth of 6 miles.
—Mohammad Yunus Yawar, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025
And that weather isn't just about devastation.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Sep. 2025
Generations of alumni and parishioners are now struggling to comprehend how the church that baptized them, married them and educated their children became the site of such devastation.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
And many of us have friends who’ve suffered from the associated devastation at any age.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2025
And the time when his friendly relationship with Bashar al-Assad blinded him to the devastation the Syrian leader was prepared to visit upon his people.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, published in three parts in the magazine in 1962 and later as a book, alerted the country to the devastation of the pesticide DDT and is credited with launching the modern environmental movement.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
In combination with poor construction standards, most building in rural areas are made of mud bricks, this seismic activity can cause widespread devastation.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Sharafat Zaman, the spokesperson for the health ministry in Kabul, called for international aid to tackle the devastation from the quake of magnitude 6 that struck around midnight, at a depth of 6 miles.
—Mohammad Yunus Yawar, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025
And that weather isn't just about devastation.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Sep. 2025
Generations of alumni and parishioners are now struggling to comprehend how the church that baptized them, married them and educated their children became the site of such devastation.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
And many of us have friends who’ve suffered from the associated devastation at any age.
—Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2025
And the time when his friendly relationship with Bashar al-Assad blinded him to the devastation the Syrian leader was prepared to visit upon his people.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastation
Noun
-
Critical wildlife habitat may be put at risk for alteration or wholesale destruction.—
Ryan Gellert,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
-
But tenants have little legal footing to stand on in combating that destruction.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While not all of the federal government’s tariff revenue is at risk, losing a huge chunk would still create havoc on the deficit and bond market.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Steve gently coaxes him back to school, where the film crew is causing havoc.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Operating losses, management missteps — including a disastrous 2011 Super Bowl ad — and a rapid post-IPO decline in valuation led to the 2013 ouster of Mason as CEO.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Many animals have adapted to water scarcity, with seasonal migrations, nocturnal habits and burrowing during the worst of the heat to offset water loss.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Approximately 44% of global reef-building coral species are at risk of extinction due to climate change, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said in its 2024 Red List of Threatened Species.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
3 Sep. 2025
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Barriers like highways, fencing, border walls and other development projects threaten to leave roaming species without the option to expand, ultimately leading to localized extinction.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There is nothing to choose between them, but there was a consistency, clinical edge and an abracadabra touch that made this performance the best Alcaraz has played in a major final, barring that 2024 demolition of Novak Djokovic on Centre Court.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Historic districts come with additional rules and regulations for renovations, construction and demolitions.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devastation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastation. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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