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
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 vaporize
As the comet draws closer to the Sun, its frozen gases begin to vaporize, releasing dust and ice into space—a process that gradually causes the comet to lose mass.
—
Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
As Halley approaches the sun every 76 years, gasses vaporize off the surface and give the comet its distinctive tail.
—Dean Regas, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2025
But this may be the first tech revolution that doesn’t vaporize the dinosaurs, the way mobile killed Nokia and threatened Microsoft, but grafts their DNA onto something new.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
For instance, Quaise Energy has developed a millimeter-wave drilling technology that can vaporize rock using high-frequency electromagnetic waves rather than conventional drill bits.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vaporize
Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
As Halley approaches the sun every 76 years, gasses vaporize off the surface and give the comet its distinctive tail.
—Dean Regas, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2025
But this may be the first tech revolution that doesn’t vaporize the dinosaurs, the way mobile killed Nokia and threatened Microsoft, but grafts their DNA onto something new.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
For instance, Quaise Energy has developed a millimeter-wave drilling technology that can vaporize rock using high-frequency electromagnetic waves rather than conventional drill bits.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vaporize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vaporize
Verb
-
So, automation can be used to destroy labor or workers’ power, but it can also be used in the opposite direction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Homes, businesses and synagogues were destroyed.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
During the closure, crews will demolish the Lister Avenue Bridge and the pedestrian bridge at Oakley Avenue over I-70.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
So, no, women didn’t ruin the workplace.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Mamdani’s victory places him at the forefront of a global cohort of diaspora leaders who have shattered political ceilings in recent years.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
At Tesla’s annual meeting on Thursday, shareholders voted in favor of giving CEO Musk a gargantuan, record-shattering pay package that could give him stock worth $1 trillion after several years.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Last year’s devastating drought in the Amazon Basin was made 30 times more likely by climate change, according to a report from World Weather Attribution, a network of scientists that analyze extreme weather events.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Earlier this year, California’s devastating Eaton Fire destroyed much of Altadena, a diverse, creative community just north of Pasadena.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Guardiola’s lads look back to their best in the early months of this season after the extended wobble in the previous one that wrecked their hopes of a fifth straight domestic title.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Phillips croons about a mother’s bond with her child as Swinton walks off, her character freshly wrecked by a visit with her son in prison.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Mantis shrimps can safely smash open clam shells with their claws.—
Carl Zimmer,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vaporize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vaporize. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share