demolish

verb

di-ˈmä-lish How to pronounce demolish (audio)
Definition of demolishnext
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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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

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 demolish The city plans to use the funds to add a battalion chief, demolish and reconstruct Fire Stations 33 and 37, build a training center and an additional fire station, purchase another ladder truck and two more ambulances and hire 36 more firefighters. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 The last remnants of that complex are now set to be demolished to make way for an apartment block. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026 Israeli bulldozers demolish a Palestinian building in the West Bank city of Hebron Friday. — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026 During the closure, workers will demolish the median and install K-rail to shift both directions of traffic to the westbound lanes. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
  1. destroy
  2. ruin
  3. shatter
  4. raze
  5. devastate
  6. smash
  7. wreck
  8. blow
Verb
  • Cities outside Paris have been hit hard by the unrest, including Limoges where a fire nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Animal diseases also threaten our economy and food system, destroying more than 20% of global livestock production each year.
    — Robert Kelly, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • One accidental move could ruin the attempt, requiring a correction at best, and a possible restart at worst.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Others have used it to remove oily stains from their toddlers like crayon marks on carpet, and one reviewer says it’s saved many of their clothes from being ruined in a household with unavoidable messes from both kids and pets.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • In a country so small and intimately connected, scarcely anyone was untouched by events that shattered the assumptions of a people whose nation was founded to give Jews a safe haven in their ancestral homeland.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In fact, 2026 has already shattered the Biden-era record for the most number of days with $4 gas or higher.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • Coming in 2030 will be a proud fusion of iconic Kansas City brands and institutions, enabled by a partnership with Hallmark that starts with razing its headquarters to accommodate the stadium district footprint.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The McCoys’ attorney said the house will need to be razed and completely rebuilt.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of raze
Verb
  • For two years, the war in Gaza devastated the Palestinian enclave, killed tens of thousands of people, and left Israeli hostages languishing in captivity.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The rain is raising concerns in Altadena once again for families devastated by the Eaton Fire.
    — Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.
    — ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Rioters last weekend smashed their way into stores, targeting sneakers, athletic wear and sporting goods on streets that run off the city’s central Duomo square.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of smash
Verb
  • From Miami to Fort Lauderdale, residents struggled through the saltwater suddenly seeping into their neighborhoods and wrecking their commute.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The 21-year-old from Dallas, who soared to gold in the all-around on Friday after recovering from injuries that wrecked her Olympic hopes in 2021 and again in 2024, hardly looked tired in what has quickly become the meet of her life.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of wreck
Verb
  • These higher-than-usual high tides are supercharged by winds blowing onshore, pushing more seawater on land.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • While Healey is expected to let a reduction in his fiscal buffer do most of the work on the basis that the Iran war has blown a hole in his accounts, tax increases are still likely.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow

Browse Nearby Words

demoiselles
demolish
demolished
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Cite this Entry

“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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