as in destroying
to deliberately cause the damage or destruction of another's property
he decided to vandalize the store because the owner had kicked him out
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Recent Examples of vandalizing
Hilda Solis, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said that anyone caught vandalizing an election facility or committing other acts to interfere with the election will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
—
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 1 June 2026
Elder’s sculpture was sitting outside of Bee Hive KC over Memorial Day Weekend when a man who was visibly angry allegedly began vandalizing the honeybee, according to Elder.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
According to the Miami Beach Police Department, officers used city camera footage to help identify and track two men who were seen vandalizing the bench in Lummus Park.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
In recent years, incidents of tourists behaving badly, including vandalizing temples and engaging in drunken bar fights, have gone viral on social media.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Dunbar said several people have provided tips about the latest case and that some have speculated someone is vandalizing the tree to try to get a better ocean view.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Two teenagers are behind bars for allegedly vandalizing a fence with antisemitic graffiti in Sterling Heights, police say.
—Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The charges include felony counts of making criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon involving a motor vehicle on March 19, and vandalizing Buckingham’s Mercedes-Benz S450 the same day.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 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
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 1 June 2026
Elder’s sculpture was sitting outside of Bee Hive KC over Memorial Day Weekend when a man who was visibly angry allegedly began vandalizing the honeybee, according to Elder.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
According to the Miami Beach Police Department, officers used city camera footage to help identify and track two men who were seen vandalizing the bench in Lummus Park.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
In recent years, incidents of tourists behaving badly, including vandalizing temples and engaging in drunken bar fights, have gone viral on social media.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Dunbar said several people have provided tips about the latest case and that some have speculated someone is vandalizing the tree to try to get a better ocean view.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Two teenagers are behind bars for allegedly vandalizing a fence with antisemitic graffiti in Sterling Heights, police say.
—Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The charges include felony counts of making criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon involving a motor vehicle on March 19, and vandalizing Buckingham’s Mercedes-Benz S450 the same day.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vandalizing
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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Two men from Germany were arrested after being accused of defacing a pride bench in Miami Beach with antisemitic symbols on Monday.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
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No one in Florida had been charged with criminal mischief for defacing a traffic control device until the August arrests.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 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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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
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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The process is fraught in other ways — the city has been sued in the past for trashing items like tents, laptops and medications.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2026
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Unsurprisingly, Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry had his new head coach's back while trashing former coach Brian Kelly and his inability to relate to boosters or fans during his time in Baton Rouge.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Spencer Pratt filed a formal complaint accusing his opponent, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, of violating election laws by allegedly campaigning too close to a ballot box.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
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Two years later, the FBI raided the apartment of the company's founder, Shayne Coplan, as part of a probe into whether Polymarket was violating that agreement.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Peat pots, paper pots, milk cartons, and other disposable materials make a great first potting container as they can be cut away from the root ball without damaging roots.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
30 May 2026
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However, once the first layer of circuits and metal wiring is completed, additional layers must remain below about 400 degrees Celsius to avoid damaging existing structures.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vandalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vandalizing. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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