as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
a lightning strike vaporized the tree
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Recent Examples of vaporizing
The use of shock waves, or blast overpressure (BOP), kills or disables enemies with the force of the explosion, vaporizing the weapon’s plastic outer shell.
—
Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Alternatively, the formation of this arc of iron plasma could be the result of the Ring Nebula's doomed star vaporizing an orbiting rocky planet as its outer layers puffed out.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
For instance, many studies work by vaporizing samples and analyzing the fumes, but that method cannot reliably tell plastic from fatty tissue, leading to widespread false positives.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 14 Jan. 2026
But if the geological plumbing is clogged, perhaps by silica minerals or rock debris, the pressure can build until the water explodes, vaporizing into steam and shooting boiling water, mud, rocks, and other debris into the air.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
There is no moral universe in which vaporizing human beings in the middle of the ocean is an act of justice.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025
By contrast, two-phase cooling involves vaporizing coolant to absorb heat, providing higher thermal efficiency.
—Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2025
So they can be built on top of each other and connected with metal wiring, without researchers having to worry about vaporizing the metal.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 July 2017
Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Alternatively, the formation of this arc of iron plasma could be the result of the Ring Nebula's doomed star vaporizing an orbiting rocky planet as its outer layers puffed out.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
For instance, many studies work by vaporizing samples and analyzing the fumes, but that method cannot reliably tell plastic from fatty tissue, leading to widespread false positives.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 14 Jan. 2026
But if the geological plumbing is clogged, perhaps by silica minerals or rock debris, the pressure can build until the water explodes, vaporizing into steam and shooting boiling water, mud, rocks, and other debris into the air.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
There is no moral universe in which vaporizing human beings in the middle of the ocean is an act of justice.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2025
By contrast, two-phase cooling involves vaporizing coolant to absorb heat, providing higher thermal efficiency.
—Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2025
So they can be built on top of each other and connected with metal wiring, without researchers having to worry about vaporizing the metal.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vaporizing
Verb
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Back in 2023, the small drones started destroying any truck or van within several miles of the front, often in high-speed chases.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Anomalies then occurred during an engine relight sequence, destroying a significant part of the Superheavy aft and resulting in a loss of control.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Verb
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This situation is ruining my good feelings about the club.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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When sound came in, people were writing all these articles about how sound is ruining films.—
Andy Hazel,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
Verb
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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
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The work included demolishing one stand entirely to create the space required to facilitate those media demands.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Third, Ukrainian drone strikes are catalyzing profound morale issues within Russia itself, methodically shattering the illusion of domestic security cultivated by the Kremlin, as the Kremlin tightens its grip over society, including through the suspension of popular messaging apps such as Telegram.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
23 May 2026
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Such an explosion could release energy comparable to a small nuclear weapon, creating a powerful shockwave capable of shattering windows and causing localized damage over a wide area.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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On 16 December 2021, typhoon Odette rang in a new chapter, wrecking the island and reducing much of the resort to rubble.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
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The line was a wrecking crew that also managed to outscore the opposition.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
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Captiva Though the recovery isn’t totally complete, Captiva is bouncing back from both 2022’s devastating Hurricane Ian and the rough 2024 hurricane season.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
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With the help of White and Daniels, Colbert, with permission from the studio, started smashing up the old set, threw the pieces away into a dumpster, and lit it on fire — thanks to the approval of their fire Marshall (Mathers).—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
23 May 2026
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Richemont’s division, which includes Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Buccellati, grew 16% in Q4 — smashing expectations of an 11% uplift and surpassing the previous quarter, when jewelry sales grew 14%.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vaporizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vaporizing. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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