as in destroying
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
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Recent Examples of nuking
The moon briefly had a small chance of taking a hit from the asteroid during its close approach in 2032 – prompting one team of scientists to propose simply nuking the space rock.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
But there’s a cleverness to how AdHoc’s writing team has managed to give the player a sense of control without completely nuking the story.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Johnson raised concerns that nuking the filibuster could one day empower socialists, in an appearance on C-SPAN Thursday.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
However, nuking the asteroid could potentially create problems.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
But there’s a cleverness to how AdHoc’s writing team has managed to give the player a sense of control without completely nuking the story.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Johnson raised concerns that nuking the filibuster could one day empower socialists, in an appearance on C-SPAN Thursday.
—Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
However, nuking the asteroid could potentially create problems.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuking
Verb
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Strikes and artillery fire were reported across Nabatieh district, destroying homes and residential buildings, according to NNA.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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One video shows a surface to air missile hitting a drone but not destroying it; the drone crashes to the ground and explodes.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Indeed, many media observers—inside and outside the network—have gone so far as to suggest that demolishing the status quo seems to be central to Weiss’s mandate.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
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In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home.—
Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The Cowboys are like most NFL teams that roll out a synthetic surface that has a grass feel, and is vastly superior to the old knee-ruining ways of AstroTurf.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
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The Dodgers are ruining baseball!—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
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What is in tandem here is the exuberantly generative possibility of life itself (SCOBY, water) alongside the very synthetic polymers that are literally wrecking life on an individual and systemic level.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
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Belt-Stubblefield did not stop and ended up wrecking his car.—
Michael Abeyta,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The brand was already the most searched name on Ulta’s site before the line expanded to the retailer’s 1,500-plus doors in February, shattering sales records and becoming the chain’s largest brand launch ever.—
Danielle Directo-Meston,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2026
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Ratings from the opening match went through the roof, shattering records.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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But Saeta, which has been outfitting the team since coming to its rescue after the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake, has been struggling to keep up with demands, creating an opening for designers and other vendors selling unofficial merchandise.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
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The British government refused to subsidize food prices or restrict exports of Irish agricultural goods, further devastating the island.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The tension in these tracks are the binding agent for Jane’s fan base — the music is full of contradictions and incompatibilities smashing together that just feel like being young right now.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Last week, a group of people swarmed Noureddine Bitat's taxi, stomping on it and smashing its windshield.—
Kelsie Hoffman,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuking. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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