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
That trail of vaporizing particles breaking off the asteroid causes a bright streak of light across the sky called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star.
—
Adam Lark, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
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
Adam Lark, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vaporizing
Verb
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Strikes and artillery fire were reported across Nabatieh district, destroying homes and residential buildings, according to NNA.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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One video shows a surface to air missile hitting a drone but not destroying it; the drone crashes to the ground and explodes.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The Cowboys are like most NFL teams that roll out a synthetic surface that has a grass feel, and is vastly superior to the old knee-ruining ways of AstroTurf.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
-
The Dodgers are ruining baseball!—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Indeed, many media observers—inside and outside the network—have gone so far as to suggest that demolishing the status quo seems to be central to Weiss’s mandate.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
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In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home.—
Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The brand was already the most searched name on Ulta’s site before the line expanded to the retailer’s 1,500-plus doors in February, shattering sales records and becoming the chain’s largest brand launch ever.—
Danielle Directo-Meston,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2026
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Ratings from the opening match went through the roof, shattering records.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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What is in tandem here is the exuberantly generative possibility of life itself (SCOBY, water) alongside the very synthetic polymers that are literally wrecking life on an individual and systemic level.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
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Belt-Stubblefield did not stop and ended up wrecking his car.—
Michael Abeyta,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Loss of this support, which is said to cover 25% of the center’s operating costs, would have been devastating both financially and reputationally.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2026
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These giant invasive snakes are devastating the Everglades ecosystem by eating through the native food web without any natural predators to keep them in check.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The tension in these tracks are the binding agent for Jane’s fan base — the music is full of contradictions and incompatibilities smashing together that just feel like being young right now.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Last week, a group of people swarmed Noureddine Bitat's taxi, stomping on it and smashing its windshield.—
Kelsie Hoffman,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vaporizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vaporizing. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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