razes

verb

present tense third-person singular of raze
1
as in destroys
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of an entire city block razed by a terrible fire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demolishes
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces the developer razed the old school building and built a high-rise condominium complex

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 razes But what happens if the Epstein-files story razes the entire forest, torching whatever trust is left in the political establishment, the Democratic Party very much included? — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for razes
  1. destroys
  2. demolishes
  3. ruins
  4. devastates
  5. shatters
  6. smashes
  7. wrecks
Verb
  • T cells, a type of immune cell that detects and destroys infected or abnormal cells, normally perform this inspection.
    — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroys
Verb
  • An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.
    — Utkarsh Sood June 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026
  • The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Definition of demolishes
Verb
  • The Carhartt Mansion ruins in Rock Hill are the remains of a lavish 1909 homestead built by workwear founder Hamilton Carhartt, who once owned three miles of land along the Catawba River.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026
  • That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Definition of ruins
Verb
  • The breakup devastates both Charlie and Nick, who both resist their respective urges to reach out to one another, and Elle, Tao and Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan) come to Charlie’s home to look after him post-split.
    — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • So when the dog is lost in a severe storm that devastates the region and leaves many homeless, an overwhelmed Rose must balance the urgency of her search mission alongside the misfortune of others close to her.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 June 2026
Definition of devastates
Verb
  • Continue reading … RAISING THE BAR — ICE shatters all-time mark with a jaw-dropping 51,000 arrests in July.
    — , FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • As Hogi pokes a hole in this plot and shatters the industrial love complex we’ve been sold song after song, movie after movie, the workplace version of this unhealthy relationship presents a familiar parallel.
    — Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of shatters
Verb
  • The skater then grabs his board and smashes his opponent in the head with it.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026
  • Following the Oklahoma style, the team smashes Vidalia onions directly into the beef, making the patties superthin, then tops them with brown mustard, American cheese and pickles.
    — Sam Flemming, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of smashes
Verb
  • That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
  • As is the case with the Delta Aquarids, the moon, only one day past full, unfortunately, wrecks any chances of getting any decent views this year.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of wrecks

Browse Nearby Words

razed
razes
razing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Razes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/razes. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on razes

Nglish: Translation of razes for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All