1
as in to destroy
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
developers demolished the old warehouse to make room for the new shopping mall
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the buildings in the town had been demolished in the bombing raid
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
terrorists used a powerful pipe bomb to demolish the concrete wall around the compound
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demolish
While the tower still exists and houses seniors, the cottages were demolished to make way for a mixed-income development.
—
Desiree Mathurin
april 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
The house will be demolished once training concludes.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Stiles said the building was slated to be demolished and reconstructed to be used as a school site.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Here's video of a streamer getting absolutely demolished while walking on the side of the road for charity.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Desiree Mathurin
april 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
The house will be demolished once training concludes.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Stiles said the building was slated to be demolished and reconstructed to be used as a school site.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Here's video of a streamer getting absolutely demolished while walking on the side of the road for charity.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
Verb
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Thankfully, the Dark Sky movement is growing as more people become aware of the issue and learn about simple and cost-effective ways that can be embraced to reverse the course of destroying our night skies.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Radioactive clouds spread, causing panic as far away as Germany and Britain; millions of litres of milk were dumped; livestock was destroyed or banned from sale.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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Apparently, staff learned to wash their hands, but the roaches returned to ruin another inspector’s visit.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By 2025, the War on Terror had shattered entire nations and economies, displaced some 40 million citizens and directly and indirectly killed over four million.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the illusion shatters when a stranger on the street recognizes the dog… as HER boyfriend Danny’s dog.—
William Earl,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fire Chief Bill Anaszewicz said the department worked with the homeowner and the village’s Community Development Department to gain approval to use the property for training purposes before it is razed for new construction.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Edelson’s team told Ars that the school has shut down and will soon be razed.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Experts feared that Asian economies — which imported 90% of the oil traversing through the Strait of Hormuz before the war — could be devastated by a prolonged disruption to Gulf crude production.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Other school committee members like Keegan are devastated by the current state of the budget.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But as anyone who’s dropped a mug knows, ceramics are also brittle and prone to smashing.—
Caitlin Kennedy,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2026
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Police said three men wearing masks and all black clothing entered the open business and allegedly used a hammer to smash out several glass panels.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That's what usually happens when the leaders wreck at Daytona and 'Dega.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Two cars were wrecked and two people suffered injuries in a crash on busy Irving Park Road in the neighborhood of the same name early Monday morning.—
Kris Habermehl,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The family documents describe comfortable lives and prosperous businesses blown apart by the war and the mounting Nazi menace.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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The focus narrows in on the remaining passengers and crew in the main sections of the aircraft not blown to bits, the cockpit and a stretch of the main cabin (finally, a reward for flying coach), precariously perched on a reef outcrop.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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