1
as in destroying
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demolishing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of razing
Mertensotto Field While the new municipal campus is at the same site as the current city hall building, new construction would include razing the baseball field known as Mertensotto Field at Civic Center Park.
—
Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 25 May 2026
Israel is razing and looting homes and has vowed to prevent hundreds of thousands of residents, predominantly Shiites, though also members of other religious communities, from returning.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
And what a voice — what an instrument of razing and of raising.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
In June 2024, it was officially named a cultural-historic landmark, preventing Milstein and Bank from razing it.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 27 Apr. 2026
The bulk of people experiencing emergency levels of hunger live in Haiti’s northwest region, including Artibonite, which gangs have mercilessly attacked in recent years, razing communities and destroying farmland.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The Park Service also sought to recover $213,387 in costs and damages stemming from two incidents in which Dateline and its contractors allegedly performed unpermitted roadwork, razing sensitive land and destroying hundreds of plants, according to the correspondence obtained by The Times last year.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
At the core of the MAGA project and Trumpism is disruption and destruction, the delegitimization and razing of institutions, and the brutalization of opponents.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Instead of razing buildings, Robinson wants to repurpose buildings that were significant to the Black community, including Theodore Roosevelt High School.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 25 May 2026
Israel is razing and looting homes and has vowed to prevent hundreds of thousands of residents, predominantly Shiites, though also members of other religious communities, from returning.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
And what a voice — what an instrument of razing and of raising.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
In June 2024, it was officially named a cultural-historic landmark, preventing Milstein and Bank from razing it.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 27 Apr. 2026
The bulk of people experiencing emergency levels of hunger live in Haiti’s northwest region, including Artibonite, which gangs have mercilessly attacked in recent years, razing communities and destroying farmland.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The Park Service also sought to recover $213,387 in costs and damages stemming from two incidents in which Dateline and its contractors allegedly performed unpermitted roadwork, razing sensitive land and destroying hundreds of plants, according to the correspondence obtained by The Times last year.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
At the core of the MAGA project and Trumpism is disruption and destruction, the delegitimization and razing of institutions, and the brutalization of opponents.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Instead of razing buildings, Robinson wants to repurpose buildings that were significant to the Black community, including Theodore Roosevelt High School.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for razing
Verb
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It was compounded when a West Contra Costa storage unit caught fire, destroying Alvin’s belongings, their mother testified.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The plan involves demolishing the building and constructing a near-replica on the same Beatties Ford Road footprint.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
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Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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Here's how to identify black spot and prevent it from ruining your roses.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Junk yards and auto wrecking services will soon be paying $354 instead of $273 for their new license, and secondhand dealers will see reduced fees — paying $354 instead of $480.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Those strikes heavily damaged the bases, burying most tunnel entrances under mountains of debris and shattering roads leading to the sites.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
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As the pattern settled in, summer heat finally arrived across the northern tier, shattering nearly 50 records, with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average, Fox Weather reported.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Verb
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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
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The carp have already shifted Mississippi River ecosystems by crowding out native fish, devastating some areas.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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The attack happened in an area where security forces are usually stationed, badly damaging nearby buildings and smashing more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road, according to witnesses and images circulating on social media.—
Abdul Sattar,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Razing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/razing. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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