as in vandalism
deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property
colorizing that classic black-and-white film would be an unforgivable act of cinematic vandalization
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to destroy
to deliberately cause the damage or destruction of another's property
he decided to vandalize the store because the owner had kicked him out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vandalization
Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 7 Feb. 2026
At a council meeting last month, a business owner told Hanceville’s leaders her laundromat had been burglarized and vandalized several times in the past year.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vandalization
Noun
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
Verb
William Defoor, 26, was accused of breaking a window to enter Vance’s home and vandalizing a USSS vehicle, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press in January.
—Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 7 Feb. 2026
At a council meeting last month, a business owner told Hanceville’s leaders her laundromat had been burglarized and vandalized several times in the past year.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vandalization
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vandalization
Noun
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Groft on Wednesday pleaded no contest to nine felony counts of vandalism and two misdemeanor vandalism charges.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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Burglary numbers are down, as are vandalism.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shipwreck hunters have been searching the lakes with more urgency in recent years out of concerns that invasive quagga mussels are slowly destroying wrecks.—
Todd Richmond,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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However, archaeologists faced a significant challenge—how to penetrate its secrets without destroying it in the process?—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As restoration work gets underway on an East Side mural defaced with spray paint, organizers say the vandalism has only motivated them to stand up stronger for victims of police violence.—
Annasofia Scheve,
San Antonio Express-News,
3 Feb. 2026
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In the entertainment capital of the world, promotional materials — including posters and signs at bus stops — for Melania have been defaced with Hitler mustaches, devil horns, and crude graffiti.—
Nikki McCann Ramirez,
Rolling Stone,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The former Portage Township Schools Administration building will be the first to be demolished this spring when workers begin preparing to build the new Aylesworth Middle School.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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The village is demolishing homes to make way for the redevelopment and will relocate residents elsewhere on campus, Timberlake said.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Those skipping romance this season can name an ex after a pile of animal feces, shred old photos for dining deals or smash their way through staged date nights in rage rooms.—
Julian Torres,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
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No matter what, Bella Hadid will always smash a theme.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That was what Ilia Malinin endured on Friday night, when his disastrous free skate ruined his chances for gold.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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Steam cleaning is an effective way to sanitize and refresh your mattress, but the wrong technique can end up ruining the fabric.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This violates the 4th Amendment, which protects people (including noncitizens) from unreasonable searches and seizures in their homes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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But a spokesperson for Kelly said the governor has deep concerns that SB 387 could jeopardize Kansas’ $250 million in federal school meal funding and potentially violate the Legislature’s school funding obligations set by the Kansas Supreme Court.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Overall, European leaders’ positive reception of Rubio’s speech reflected how horrifically damaged the transatlantic relationship has been by the past year of turmoil over Ukraine, and month of arson over Greenland.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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Some of the fiercest storms in the South were reported near Lake Charles, Louisiana, where high winds from a thunderstorm overturned a horse trailer and a Mardi Gras float, damaged an airport jet bridge and flung the metal awning from a house into power lines.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vandalization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vandalization. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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