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
After spending more than a week in detention, the 13-year-old accused of vandalizing a statue of Marty Brennanman has gone home with his maternal grandmother.
—
Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025
Students demonstrated in the historic center of Morelia, with several demonstrators vandalizing at least two buildings used by local authorities, according to reports.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The historically Black church that Lamar leads this year was awarded control of the trademark for the name and logos of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist hate group, that was convicted of vandalizing the church in 2020.
—Mara Williams, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
Randall ended up being arrested amid a flurry of arrests across the state and country for people accused of vandalizing Teslas and dealerships.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
British authorities have had their eyes on the group since 2020, but its June 2025 action – when activists broke into Britain’s largest airbase, RAF Brize Norton, vandalizing two Airbus Voyager refueling planes – led to its proscription.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
In the finale, Laura crashes Daniel and Cherry’s engagement party, and Cherry is arrested for vandalizing Laura’s gallery.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Wilson, a Boise Black Lives Matter organizer and former Boise State University adjunct professor, previously made headlines in 2021 when he was arrested for vandalizing a statue of Abraham Lincoln in Julia Davis Park.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 11 Sep. 2025
Image Since then, mobs have arrived in neighborhoods where Hindus live, vandalizing temples and targeting homes.
—Saif Hasnat, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025
Students demonstrated in the historic center of Morelia, with several demonstrators vandalizing at least two buildings used by local authorities, according to reports.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The historically Black church that Lamar leads this year was awarded control of the trademark for the name and logos of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist hate group, that was convicted of vandalizing the church in 2020.
—Mara Williams, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
Randall ended up being arrested amid a flurry of arrests across the state and country for people accused of vandalizing Teslas and dealerships.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
British authorities have had their eyes on the group since 2020, but its June 2025 action – when activists broke into Britain’s largest airbase, RAF Brize Norton, vandalizing two Airbus Voyager refueling planes – led to its proscription.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
In the finale, Laura crashes Daniel and Cherry’s engagement party, and Cherry is arrested for vandalizing Laura’s gallery.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Wilson, a Boise Black Lives Matter organizer and former Boise State University adjunct professor, previously made headlines in 2021 when he was arrested for vandalizing a statue of Abraham Lincoln in Julia Davis Park.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 11 Sep. 2025
Image Since then, mobs have arrived in neighborhoods where Hindus live, vandalizing temples and targeting homes.
—Saif Hasnat, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vandalizing
Verb
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And candidates who stoked fear in voters — with the threat of towering multi-family complexes destroying their communities or costly local infrastructure projects driving up taxes — lost by clear margins.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
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Derek Lopez, 27, was fired from his role at the university after he was caught on camera destroying a Turning Point display.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Harrison Grant Randall, 39, was charged earlier this year with six counts of defacing property after Brookline Police posted a video of a suspect riding his bike — and the public helped ID him.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, the people defacing Friend’s advertisements are expressing a much larger, inchoate rage at the broader AI industry, not just these plastic pendants that practically nobody owns.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The military showed us a map of Hamas tunnel routes Israeli forces are still discovering and demolishing in the area.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
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Most recently, crews began demolishing the East Wing of the White House.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Within a few years of leaving Texas, Rauschenberg had upended everything the place had meant to him, smashing through the parochialism of small-town Southern life, where necks were broken in Jesus’ name, and families indentured or murdered.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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The role would typically involve smashing a bottle of champagne against the bow before sending the vessel out on its maiden voyage.—
Mackenzie Schmidt,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Chiefs have seen some of league’s premier running backs — such as Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs — and have met each challenge, preventing those elite players from ruining the defensive game plan.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
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Clark reiterated his belief that the Dodgers are not ruining baseball.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Amid tariffs, some shipping companies wind up trashing some packages.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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Michael Jackson was trashing the studio!—
Dan Beck,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In September, Nevada’s Bureau of Water Pollution Control fined the company nearly $250,000 for violating environmental regulations nearly 800 times in the last two years, including for spilling untreated groundwater onto public roads and not reporting it to authorities, ProPublica first reported.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
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Council President Joe LaCava simply gave a hand-slap to Surf Cup for violating the deed restrictions, granting it the right to continue with commercial use.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If your hair is getting snagged while using the brush or seems to be damaging your hair, it should also be replaced.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
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The YouTuber-turned-boxer has been accused by a lot of people of damaging the sport by staging fights that are more bit than boxing.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vandalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vandalizing. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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