variants
or levelling
1
as in balancing
to make equal in amount, degree, or status
we'll give both teams the same equipment so as to level the playing field
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smoothing
to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps
the construction workers leveled the ground before laying a foundation for the new house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aiming
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
the marksman leveled his gun at the target and fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dropping
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
the boxer leveled his opponent with a single blow
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in demolishing
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
an old warehouse that was leveled to build a parking lot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leveling
Since agreeing last week to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been leveling neighborhoods in towns and villages near the Lebanese-Israeli border.
—
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Prepare the soil by leveling and firming it.
—Elizabeth Jardina, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
The league is pushing for centralized television production for all teams, which would go a long way to leveling the financial playing field.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
The tornado left a trail of damage in Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday night, wrecking an RV park, toppling power lines, leveling homes and destroying a storage facility near West 255th Street.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Federal prosecutors say the flames quickly spread, collapsing the roof and leveling the entire facility, which stored household products like Kleenex and Cottonelle.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
His shot generated a rebound for Carlsson, who patiently waited out Tolopilo to flick a score-leveling backhand for his 29th goal of 2025-26.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday, the first day of the ceasefire, Israel hit Lebanon with its deadliest barrage of strikes of the war, killing hundreds and leveling buildings in Beirut.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Grief has a way of leveling us.
—Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Prepare the soil by leveling and firming it.
—Elizabeth Jardina, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
The league is pushing for centralized television production for all teams, which would go a long way to leveling the financial playing field.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
The tornado left a trail of damage in Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday night, wrecking an RV park, toppling power lines, leveling homes and destroying a storage facility near West 255th Street.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Federal prosecutors say the flames quickly spread, collapsing the roof and leveling the entire facility, which stored household products like Kleenex and Cottonelle.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
His shot generated a rebound for Carlsson, who patiently waited out Tolopilo to flick a score-leveling backhand for his 29th goal of 2025-26.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
On Wednesday, the first day of the ceasefire, Israel hit Lebanon with its deadliest barrage of strikes of the war, killing hundreds and leveling buildings in Beirut.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Grief has a way of leveling us.
—Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leveling
Verb
-
Driven by blunt ideology rather than the reality of balancing harms, Font and Putnam-Hornstein advance a flawed and damaging premise that child safety requires normalizing and regularizing family separation.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
While earlier balancing machines—like those inspired by Segway—relied purely on wheels, modern humanoids have leaned toward human-like limbs.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike many mineral sunscreens that can sit heavily on the skin, this one absorbs quickly and has a lightweight, smoothing effect.—
Brigitt Earley,
Glamour,
24 Apr. 2026
-
But smoothing the appearance of fine lines around your eyes does not require a 12-step regimen or an appointment at the dermatologist’s office.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Moyes moved to San Sebastian side Real Sociedad in November 2014, seven months after that unceremonious end to his time at Old Trafford, aiming to rebuild his reputation.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Ukraine produced four million drones last year and is aiming for seven million this year.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rookie managed just 10 points after dropping 30 with 10 rebounds in Tuesday night’s 111-97 Philly win at TD Garden.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
-
At the end of regret-flow plotlines, husbands tend to beg their wives for forgiveness by dropping to their knees.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Those sweaters have so much mojo, as shown by Allen just demolishing what looked to be a Corona.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
And the city has further rules around demolishing older buildings, passed in late 2024.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Contemporary theories of consciousness generally attempt to bridge this gap by equating consciousness with some measurable, physical property of the brain.—
Conor Feehly,
Big Think,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The administration reframes the drug war as military conflict, equating cartels to terrorist groups like ISIS and prioritizing lethal force over law enforcement.—
Joshua Goodman,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This news organization recently interviewed Poppe about PG&E’s status, including the new reality of bills flattening out or even falling.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In a town of fewer than 2,000 people, a tornado carved through a heavily residential subdivision, flattening homes and scattering families.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Principal work on the project will be based in LA and casting discussions are underway.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
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Most striking, though, is the deep, almost luminescent blue of the walls, casting the room in a curious, dreamlike glow.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leveling. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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