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
Relevance
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 vandalize
Tile work and court paintings at historical sites were vandalized, the eyes of past royals gouged out.
—
Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Churchill’s statue in Westminster was vandalized in 2020 and again last month.
—Simon Constable, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Baumann testified that Evetts joined him in vandalizing the vehicles parked in the facility’s adjacent lot and breaking a surveillance camera.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Strangers could board and jump off the boats, endangering themselves, or vandalize the craft, the lawsuit says.
—Joe Marusak
march 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vandalize
Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Churchill’s statue in Westminster was vandalized in 2020 and again last month.
—Simon Constable, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Baumann testified that Evetts joined him in vandalizing the vehicles parked in the facility’s adjacent lot and breaking a surveillance camera.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Strangers could board and jump off the boats, endangering themselves, or vandalize the craft, the lawsuit says.
—Joe Marusak
march 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vandalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vandalize
Verb
-
Later, a fire at Hall’s grandmother’s house would destroy most of his magic act.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
This time around, in that first wave of strikes on February 28, American cruise missiles targeted and destroyed a building that ended up being a girls’ school—killing more than 168 young children who had just started their day of classes.—
Connor Okeeffe,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This exclusion protects the home warranty company from homeowners who may try to get replacements for appliances or home system components by defacing or damaging them purposefully.—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Last summer, Zeevi, who owns an HVAC company in San Jose, told KTVU that the vans at his shop were defaced with swastikas.—
Lucy Hodgman,
San Francisco Chronicle,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The beach patrol headquarters is in danger of collapsing and will be demolished this weekend.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The library, which blocked a view of the water for 30 years, was demolished, moved several blocks west as part of a new cultural center.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One of the men is seen on surveillance video smashing the front door with a metal object and connecting the ATM to the vehicle using a metal cable.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Particle accelerators like the LHC typically work by firing beams of particles at nearly the speed of light and smashing them together.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Accused of ruining baseball with their big-spending ways the past two years, the noise has only gotten louder as a labor showdown looms.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Uthmeier said the Rooney Rule violates Florida law.—
Mac Engel
March 30,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Killing a civilian scientist would violate international law.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In a social media post on Monday morning, Kuwait said a service building at a power generation and water desalination plant were damaged in an attack Sunday evening, killing one worker.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
-
At least 12 residents have been displaced after a three-alarm fire heavily damaged five homes in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Take your household trash out back, set it on fire, and whoosh, all that junk was smoke, and no longer your problem.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
By his account, the experiment ended when his parents, Kenneth and Lauren, discovered his supply and trashed it.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vandalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vandalize. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
