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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Rather than destroying employment, AI would improve small-business competitiveness, seeding novel job categories around AI development, oversight, and maintenance.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
11 Dec. 2025
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This week's Thai attacks, which stem from a long-running border dispute between the two Southeast Asian nations, have also forced more than 20,000 from their homes in several communities, the Cambodian ministry said, along with destroying infrastructure, damaging temples disrupting public services.—
Morgan Winsor,
ABC News,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Phase one, tentatively scheduled for June 2026 to August 2027, includes demolishing several buildings, upgrading library fire alarms and readying central campus for construction.—
Gqlshare,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Dec. 2025
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The demolition proposal went before the historic preservation commission under the city’s review rules, which call for taking a closer look before demolishing older buildings that could be historic and considering alternatives or options for reuse.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Historically, barrels of Madeira spent months crossing tropical oceans aboard ships, and merchants realized that the heat actually improved the wine rather than ruining it.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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The antics each week involved lovable Gilligan ruining a plan to get the gang rescued, but also ogling the bombshell Ginger (Tina Louise) and getting annoyed by Thurston Howell III (Jim Backus).—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The brand nails high-quality essentials that look luxe without wrecking your travel budget.—
Claire Gallam,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Nov. 2025
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Her firm helped design boutique hotels in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina by shopping in many of the local architectural wrecking stores.—
Colleen McNally Arnett,
Southern Living,
13 Nov. 2025
Verb
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People in the crowd also took bats to five NYPD vehicles and jumped on them, shattering front and back windows, officials said.—
Mark Prussin,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
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Videos online showed Knicks fans stomping on Citi Bikes, climbing street lamps, shattering windows and attacking taxi cabs.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
14 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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Her fusions are even more radical than on previous releases, smashing together club beats, Egyptian darbuka, blasts of noise, and glowering features from Armand Hammer, Moor Mother, and BbyMutha.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
9 Dec. 2025
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Another cuts to Nina smashing dishes across the kitchen floor before being comforted by Enzo.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuking. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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