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
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 least four suspects were detained for vandalizing property in the area and will be charged with felony vandalism, according to the LAPD.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
In November, a woman was caught and charged with a felony for vandalizing ancient petroglyphs near Moab.
—Outside, 27 Jan. 2026
Police have arrested a man accused of vandalizing a menorah built by a holocaust survivor outside a synagogue in Bridgeport last month.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2026
Over just two days, 30 people were arrested for vandalizing the mall.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 14 Jan. 2026
The husband was criminally charged with vandalizing property, and the neighbors obtained a harassment prevention order against him.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
District Attorney Summer Stephan reminded the crowd that San Diego is not free of its own tragedies spurned by antisemitic hate and bigotry, including instances of hateful graffiti vandalizing a synagogue and destruction of a menorah at The Chabad House at San Diego State University.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Dec. 2025
An arrest has been made after a man was caught on video knocking over and vandalizing a menorah outside the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector's Office on Monday night, police confirmed.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Ryan Mancini, The Hill, 7 Feb. 2026
At least four suspects were detained for vandalizing property in the area and will be charged with felony vandalism, according to the LAPD.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
In November, a woman was caught and charged with a felony for vandalizing ancient petroglyphs near Moab.
—Outside, 27 Jan. 2026
Police have arrested a man accused of vandalizing a menorah built by a holocaust survivor outside a synagogue in Bridgeport last month.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2026
Over just two days, 30 people were arrested for vandalizing the mall.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 14 Jan. 2026
The husband was criminally charged with vandalizing property, and the neighbors obtained a harassment prevention order against him.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
District Attorney Summer Stephan reminded the crowd that San Diego is not free of its own tragedies spurned by antisemitic hate and bigotry, including instances of hateful graffiti vandalizing a synagogue and destruction of a menorah at The Chabad House at San Diego State University.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Dec. 2025
An arrest has been made after a man was caught on video knocking over and vandalizing a menorah outside the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector's Office on Monday night, police confirmed.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vandalizing
Verb
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The beams would be far brighter than the full moon and, even if carefully pointed, would scatter in the atmosphere to be very bright off-beam, disrupting wildlife and effectively destroying the sky’s remaining natural beauty by erasing the stars from our sight.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
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An estimated 50,000 pounds of ice collapsed the sanctuary roof, destroying nearly everything.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sohail faces federal charges of intentionally defacing or damaging religious real property, which carries a maximum three years behind bars.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
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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 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The arena, which would host sports, concerts and other events, is is expected to cost around $242 million to build, though the entire renovation, which includes demolishing the 58-year-old Millet Hall and installing parking near Cook Field, could cost up to $281 million.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
27 Feb. 2026
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Other possibilities involve demolishing the structure for street-level transit or repurposing it as a pedestrian and bicycle trail.—
David Bauerlein,
Florida Times-Union,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Costco recommends wrapping it in a towel and smashing it into pieces with a hammer.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
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Vulture hosted a special screening of the pilot with ABC on March 3, and Speedman answered all of our questions about smashing props and doing his own stunts.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has long mocked Bush for ruining his presidency by invading Iraq, and his administration over the past week has sought to downplay any parallels between Bush’s misadventures and its own attack on Iran.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
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The White House believed that that Iran was intentionally ruining the Mideast peace process, and then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich had called Iran the most dangerous nation on Earth.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rioters were trashing and burning Tehran in opposition to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, while the Shah's secret police, SAVAK, arrested the major opposition figure who was about to call on Pahlavi to leave Iran to make way for a democratic Islamic state.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
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Trump lavishly praised the justices who voted his way ― Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito ― while continually trashing the ones who didn't.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Yuen and Wai have pleaded not guilty to violating the National Security Act by assisting a foreign intelligence service between December 2023 and May 2024 and committing foreign interference by trying to force their way into a home.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
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That same month, the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office charged him with one count of violating the Kansas Offender Registration Act.—
Robert A. Cronkleton
March 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, damaging winds and hail are expected across parts of Ohio on Saturday as a cold front moves through the region.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
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This will help protect them from a later cold snap damaging the fresh, new growth.—
Wayne Hobbs,
Florida Times-Union,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vandalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vandalizing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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