nuking

present participle of nuke
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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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 nuking Korea’s unfunny dictator responded by nuking the studio’s tech apparatus, thus disclosing its financial secrets. Peter Bart, Deadline, 30 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuking
Verb
  • Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags moved toward beachside migrant camps last week, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart, according to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE and news agency EFE.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Several homeowners near Meta’s massive Newton County data center have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech company and others of tainting their water and destroying their rural way of life.
    Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Mansfield Timberview signaled state-title ambitions by demolishing West Mesquite 69-7, while White Settlement Brewer knocked off Class 6A Haltom 31-14 to open Class 5A play.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026
  • While members of the public and the architectural community have criticized the Rike Tubes for altering the character of Tbilisi’s historic old town, some favored relocating them to a more suitable setting rather than demolishing them.
    Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Horned Frogs crushed the Tar Heels 48-14 in last year’s season opener at Chapel Hill, ruining the college coaching debut of six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • So, are invasives ruining the state’s waters, or is the state on the way to becoming the everyman’s Amazon, embraced by the folks who can’t afford the jungle lodge experience?
    Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In a May interview on The Pivot Podcast, Davis blamed his opioid abuse for wrecking his home life.
    Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The 1982-83 winter season, which coincided with a very strong El Niño, was historically destructive for California’s coast, with storms wrecking the Santa Monica and Seal Beach piers.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The video shows a customer walking out of Cinnaholic when the girls ride the scooter through the window, shattering the glass.
    Adam Thompson, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Wednesday, which was forecast to be the hottest day of the heat wave, brought record-shattering temperatures across the Southland.
    Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Over 150 people have been killed and hundreds more are missing after devastating flash floods swept through the Himalayan region along the Nepal-Tibet border, officials from both countries confirmed Wednesday.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • And that roads budget included the funding to take care of the existing roads, which would have been devastating ecologically and socially, because if these roads keep falling off the hillsides, then people can’t use them.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Bland said officers were dispatched after a 911 caller reported that Garcia had been walking down the street with a baseball bat, smashing car windows.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Nvidia guided for 70% revenue growth in fiscal-year 2028, smashing estimates of 40%.
    Benzinga, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Nuking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuking. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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