as in destroyed
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the hurricane ravaged the state and caused billions of dollars worth of damage
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Recent Examples of ravaged
Resident Dave Levy said his basement continues to be ravaged by floods on and off over the past five years.
—
Dave Savini, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
One person died after a fire ravaged a Harlem apartment building on Sunday, according to the FDNY.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
The strait has been ravaged by Iranian missile, drone and mine attacks during the war.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
The vigilantes in Guajes de Ayala join a volatile landscape of warring armed groups – from cartels with tentacles across Latin America to local mafias – in regions like Guerrero ravaged by splintering cartels for decades.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
The vigilantes in Guajes de Ayala join a volatile landscape of warring armed groups — from cartels with tentacles across Latin America to local mafias — in regions like Guerrero ravaged by splintering cartels for decades.
—Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
During the Revolutionary War, George Washington ordered troops to be inoculated against smallpox, which had ravaged the Continental Army and was scaring away recruits.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
Buenos Aires, at the time, was ravaged by the disease, and Prager says that project was one of the most meaningful of his life.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, sectarian violence, terrorist groups and a civil war have ravaged Syria, whose dictator, Bashar al-Assad, fled in 2024 after two plus-decades of repressive rule.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Dave Savini, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
One person died after a fire ravaged a Harlem apartment building on Sunday, according to the FDNY.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
The strait has been ravaged by Iranian missile, drone and mine attacks during the war.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
The vigilantes in Guajes de Ayala join a volatile landscape of warring armed groups – from cartels with tentacles across Latin America to local mafias – in regions like Guerrero ravaged by splintering cartels for decades.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
The vigilantes in Guajes de Ayala join a volatile landscape of warring armed groups — from cartels with tentacles across Latin America to local mafias — in regions like Guerrero ravaged by splintering cartels for decades.
—Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
During the Revolutionary War, George Washington ordered troops to be inoculated against smallpox, which had ravaged the Continental Army and was scaring away recruits.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
Buenos Aires, at the time, was ravaged by the disease, and Prager says that project was one of the most meaningful of his life.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, sectarian violence, terrorist groups and a civil war have ravaged Syria, whose dictator, Bashar al-Assad, fled in 2024 after two plus-decades of repressive rule.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ravaged
Verb
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First Baptist Dallas will break ground on its new sanctuary on Sunday, June 7, after a massive fire destroyed the church's 134-year-old sanctuary in the summer of 2024, the church announced on Sunday.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The diplomat also said that the IDF’s targeting of bridges along Lebanon’s Litani River has destroyed vital infrastructure connecting the south to the rest of the country.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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President Harry Truman signed the Marshall Plan on April 3, 1948, a American initiative to help nations devastated by World World II rebuild.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
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Look, if this had happened in my third season playing this character, I’d be devastated.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The three runners whose chances of victory were ruined — Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat — are now invited to compete at the 2026 World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
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That passive-aggressive email ruined your mood, but the feedback about your project was pretty accurate.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ravaged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ravaged. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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