nuke

Definition of nukenext
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of a pretty sizable piece of real estate would be nuked if an asteroid struck

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 nuke However, nuking the asteroid could potentially create problems. Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 In 2020, Republicans just nuked big chunks of their calendar and proclaimed their incumbent nearly by acclamation. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 26 Aug. 2025 Republicans in other red states like Missouri, Florida, Ohio and Indiana are also considering similar efforts to nuke Democratic seats before 2026. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025 The only real solution is to nuke the whole thing and start over from scratch. Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nuke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuke
Verb
  • But when a man from Anne’s past returns from war, a curse begins to take shape through a mysterious knight and threatens to destroy them all.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Plenty of plants were destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, of course, especially highly flammable shrubs like tall, skinny arborvitae.
    Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That is a very expensive building to demolish.
    Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Damaged beyond repair, the building was permanently closed and later demolished.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026
  • To say much more would be to ruin the wild twists and turns that unfold as the night marches onward.
    Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The synthetic opioid is far more potent than heroin and has devastated communities across the country.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • In Kristin Dwyer's In Time With You (out March 3 from Wednesday Books), that's the conundrum facing Nieve Monroe, who's devastated after her boyfriend Carter dies saving her from drowning.
    Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But her plans were shattered when a family member called her and said Nancy was missing.
    Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
  • When several landmasses collided to form the supercontinent Pangea long before the dinosaurs, Earth’s crust shattered into discrete blocks and folded like a rug pushed against a wall, rising to form mountains spanning from the Appalachians to the Atlas.
    Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Lanni was sitting nearby at Sei Less when LaForte wrecked the witness’ table.
    John Annese, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
  • The barber chair, the locus of Sweeney’s revenge on the heartless cruelty of a Victorian London that wrecked his life, isn’t the elaborate contraption of other productions.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The cars, about 20 of them, had their windows smashed and looked as though they were made in the 1940s or 1950s.
    Kathleen Hill, The Providence Journal, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The bike then smashes into a metal barricade before coming to rest against a parked car.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Nuke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuke. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.

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