VANDALISM Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

vandalism

noun

ˈvan-də-ˌli-zəm

Definition of vandalism

as in vandalization

deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property anyone guilty of vandalism to university property will be expelled

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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 vandalism In the early 2010s, the church and school experienced a series of vandalism incidents and thefts, with four break-ins reported between 2008 and 2012. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 Philadelphia Police The vandalism has already been cleaned up, the museum said. — Laura Fay, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 As vandalism against its license plate-reading cameras and backlash against civic leaders who embrace them grows, Flock Safety is losing its surveillance coverage at a breakneck pace. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026 While Blanche didn’t cite specific incidents, Pirro’s office last week charged a Kentucky woman with vandalism for spraying the World War II memorial on the National Mall with graffiti. — Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vandalism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vandalism

Noun

Riverside has both a community center named for Chavez and a bronze statue — often the target of vandalization — on the Main Street pedestrian mall in the city’s downtown.

— Ryan Carter, Daily News, 19 Mar. 2026
Police said officers from the 116th Precinct had been alerted to the vandalization in the neighborhood and found 11 different police vehicles, both marked and unmarked, with damage.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025

Definition of vandalization

Noun

Despite the destruction, officials said no injuries had been reported in the city.

— Ross DiMattei, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Her home was not damaged during the back-to-back hurricanes that hit Florida in 2024, but many people close to her experienced flooding and other destruction to their homes, businesses and schools.

— Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of destruction

Noun

Prosecutors concluded that widespread damage to the pool’s blue lining stemmed from construction problems after investigators were unable to find any evidence of intentional defacement.

— Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
Livestock theft, arson and the defacement of mosques are routinely reported.

— Majdi Mohammed, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of defacement

Browse Nearby Words

vandal

vandalism

vandalization

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“Vandalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vandalism. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of vandalism

noun

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