devastates

verb

present tense third-person singular of devastate
1
as in destroys
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in demolishes
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of the explosion devastated an entire city block

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in overwhelms
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress we were devastated by the awful news of his death

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 devastates As climate chaos causes oceans to swallow coastlands, and as surging water displaces and devastates communities, social survival will demand that people find ways to live and work with – and on – the water. — New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026 The urban planner and former professor also knows what happens next after a powerful earthquake devastates whole communities. — Luis Giraldo, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 The breakup devastates both Charlie and Nick, who both resist their respective urges to reach out to one another, and Elle, Tao and Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan) come to Charlie’s home to look after him post-split. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 So when the dog is lost in a severe storm that devastates the region and leaves many homeless, an overwhelmed Rose must balance the urgency of her search mission alongside the misfortune of others close to her. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 June 2026 Withholding effective treatment for chronic disease devastates lives and drives up healthcare costs. — Karen R. Studer, Sacbee.com, 1 June 2026 After an epidemic devastates humanity, one group, the Traveling Symphony, connects disparate survivors by performing Shakespeare. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 May 2026 As a Category 5 hurricane devastates a small coastal town, flooding turns out to be the least of the residents' worries when the rising water brings massive predators with it. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 10 Apr. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastates
  1. destroys
  2. demolishes
  3. overwhelms
  4. ravages
  5. shatters
  6. overcomes
  7. ruins
  8. wrecks
Verb
  • These include immune amnesia, a type of immunosuppression in which the measles virus destroys immune cells and adaptive responses.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Cash flow is a timing problem, not a sales problem, and that difference destroys companies that look profitable on paper.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroys
Verb
  • An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.
    — Utkarsh Sood June 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of demolishes
Verb
  • The tests could easily do the opposite, as people with results suggesting cancer require follow-up testing that overwhelms our healthcare system, potentially delaying diagnoses for people with cancer.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Histamine intolerance is when histamine from food overwhelms the body’s ability to break it down, Hwang explained.
    — Lauren Finney Harden, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelms
Verb
  • Over four decades, Steve Hanke has pursued a worldwide quest to tame the hyperinflation that so frequently ravages developing nations.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • As Hurricane Lala ravages Hawaii, three people have died amid the storm.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of ravages
Verb
  • With their daughter away at college, Abby and husband Gordy (Arquette) are settling into life as empty nesters when the arrival of a mysterious young woman (Shouse) shatters their sense of safety.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The attack underscores a widening front in the Iran war and shatters a 2022 ceasefire that had largely halted fighting in Yemen’s civil war.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of shatters
Verb
  • Roger overcomes stage-fright to shine in the school performance.
    — Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Airscope overcomes this limitation by delivering a large field of view in a design light enough for animals to wear freely.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of overcomes
Verb
  • George Santos simply cannot get up After surprising the DS by passing the first task — falling out of a hovering helicopter backward — Santos ruins his big moment by struggling to swim to the dock and not being able to lift himself out of the water.
    — Sarah Hearon, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing ruins an outfit faster than an ill-fitting bra, which is why this V-neck option caught our eye.
    — Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruins
Verb
  • If checking your score reliably wrecks your morning, the device isn’t working for you.
    — J. David Creswell, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Definition of wrecks

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Cite this Entry

“Devastates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastates. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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