1
as in destroys
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shatters
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smashes
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 demolishes
The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishes
Verb
-
Sprinkle dill over your food after cooking, as heat destroys its flavor.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Cody Rhodes destroys ‘outside forces’ in scathing promo Cody Rhodes’ promos in the midst of Pat McAfee’s insertion into his WrestleMania feud with Randy Orton blurred the line on what was real and what was kayfabe.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Related Stories The film shatters stereotypical visuals of space, veering away from cold and desaturated colors, and using warmer tones such as orange.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
-
His refusal to take the curse seriously shatters her trust, leaving her questioning their entire relationship.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The group is among the most successful access-broker operations, a class of hackers that smashes and grabs credentials from victims and then sells them to other hackers.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But Wark smashes a ball to left field for the Aggies to retake the lead, 7-5.—
Zoe Collins Rath,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But what happens if the Epstein-files story razes the entire forest, torching whatever trust is left in the political establishment, the Democratic Party very much included?—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On Bolivia’s Isla del Sol, simple guesthouses and boutique hotels overlook Incan ruins and the seemingly endless blue water.—
Carla Vianna,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Nothing ruins a cute skirt moment faster than thigh chafing.—
Michelle Rostamian,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The fact that they were not sequestered right from the start blows me away.—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
Tell them when something blows you away.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Florida’s citrus industry has been in a steady decline the past 25 years because of Huanglongbing (also known as HLB and citrus greening disease), a bacterial disease that devastates citrus trees.—
Jim Turner,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demolishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishes. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
