vaporize

verb

ˈvā-pə-ˌrīz How to pronounce vaporize (audio)
Definition of vaporizenext
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of a lightning strike vaporized the tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 vaporize The system generates high-power electromagnetic waves that can ablate, or vaporize, rock as a borehole advances. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026 For the past year, markets have vaporized roughly $2 trillion in software value by asking the wrong question about AI. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Steven Tian and Stephen Henriques, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026 Fortunes are being minted and vaporized with equal speed right before our very eyes. — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 When the crash occurs, the object vaporizes and shock waves are sent reverberating through the Earth’s crust. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for vaporize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vaporize
  1. destroy
  2. demolish
  3. ruin
  4. shatter
  5. devastate
  6. wreck
  7. smash
Verb
  • Rather than undertaking the difficult but just and moral work of reform of the nation's immigration laws, Vance would destroy and expel their families with a smile, claiming that such actions will save you money.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Running low on fuel, NASA chose to steer Cassini straight into Saturn's atmosphere, where the spacecraft was destroyed.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • For one thing, Baron Haussmann had demolished swaths of the neighborhood in the mid-eighteen-hundreds to create the Place de la République.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In the 1990s, plans to demolish the deteriorating site and replace it with an underground car park sparked fierce opposition from local residents and traders, who successfully campaigned to save it.
    — Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • Artificial, though, ends with a scene that convincingly conveys the extent to which AI will ruin all our lives.
    — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Civic, before it was smashed and ruined, had been a private world, an extension of myself.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • However, her plans are shattered when the body of a young woman is discovered in a bog, drawing Nora into a complex murder investigation alongside the local Garda team.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The story follows the transformation of Adriana (Colin), a woman shattered by a terrible murder and who discovers the strength to start over, driven by an unquenchable thirst for justice.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • Janice was disgusted; Mary was emotionally devastated and financially ruined.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The men said learning about the latest attack left them devastated for the mother and toddler, and determined to speak out.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • The story centers on an influencer whose life is wrecked by an online pile-on.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • If checking your score reliably wrecks your morning, the device isn’t working for you.
    — J. David Creswell, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of wreck
Verb
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, smashing beef with a wooden spoon, until wine is evaporated, surface of pot is almost dry, and meat is finely ground, 12–15 minutes.
    — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
  • At the current clip, they are predicted to give up 5,168 yards, smashing the 2011 Packers’ record of 4,988.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of smash

Browse Nearby Words

vaporing
vaporize
vaporized
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Cite this Entry

“Vaporize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vaporize. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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