as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the sheer devastation of the housing development by the forest fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devastation
Alfonzo’s younger sister, Eliana, and stepmother, Patricia, have been missing since last month when earthquakes caused widespread devastation in his home country of Venezuela.
—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2026
Yet amid the devastation, what stands out is the determination of ordinary Venezuelans.
—
James Longman,
ABC News,
3 July 2026
The concentrated population, aging buildings, lack of architectural safety standards, and soft soil were all factors that exacerbated the structural devastation.
—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
2 July 2026
The devastation has forced many residents, like Marianae Hernandez, to flee inland to the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in hopes of finding shelter.
—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Two months of heavy rainfall resulted in then-unfathomable devastation that still reverberates today.
—
Kansas City Public Library Staff,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
But that was nothing compared to the devastation that would be revealed when the camp gathered and took a headcount to make sure everyone was OK.
—
Dateline Nbc,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
Still, the assessment suggests devastation on a massive scale stretching from Caracas to Puerto Cabello, covering some of Venezuela’s most densely populated urban corridors.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
This was the first time German players have ever had the pain of being on the losing side in a World Cup shootout but there are hundreds of players who have felt the devastation of losing on penalty kicks against a goalkeeper from 12 yards.
—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
30 June 2026
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2026
Yet amid the devastation, what stands out is the determination of ordinary Venezuelans.
—
James Longman,
ABC News,
3 July 2026
The concentrated population, aging buildings, lack of architectural safety standards, and soft soil were all factors that exacerbated the structural devastation.
—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
2 July 2026
The devastation has forced many residents, like Marianae Hernandez, to flee inland to the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in hopes of finding shelter.
—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Two months of heavy rainfall resulted in then-unfathomable devastation that still reverberates today.
—
Kansas City Public Library Staff,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
But that was nothing compared to the devastation that would be revealed when the camp gathered and took a headcount to make sure everyone was OK.
—
Dateline Nbc,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
Still, the assessment suggests devastation on a massive scale stretching from Caracas to Puerto Cabello, covering some of Venezuela’s most densely populated urban corridors.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
This was the first time German players have ever had the pain of being on the losing side in a World Cup shootout but there are hundreds of players who have felt the devastation of losing on penalty kicks against a goalkeeper from 12 yards.
—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastation
Noun
-
Rodríguez said authorities have recorded 862 aftershocks since the main quakes and confirmed that 189 buildings collapsed completely nationwide, the vast majority in La Guaira, the coastal state that suffered the worst destruction.
-
Our previous card featured the fiery destruction of the Missouri Pacific depot in 1909.
Noun
-
The beloved southern elephant seal, Neil the Seal, is back in Tasmania, causing havoc yet again and garnering fans through his antics.
-
Those same issues have ships and planes on high alert in the Middle East, and the ongoing conflict across the region is causing havoc for civilian applications like ride-hailing and food delivery.
Noun
-
The congregation started to arrive at the usual time, about half an hour before Mass on a recent Saturday afternoon, the old church slowly filling with the descendants and caretakers of a place of great serenity but also great loss.
-
Fireflies are facing growing challenges from habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change and light pollution.
Noun
-
Although this is likely an underestimate, due to insufficient data on more than half of North America's firefly species, at least 18 species are officially listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as threatened with extinction.
-
The fossils date to the Paleocene Epoch, the first 10 million years after the end-Cretaceous extinction, during which mammals rapidly diversified as ecosystems slowly recovered.
Noun
-
The Robeson site developer ultimately began demolition on that site over the winter, so the city did not have to carry out receivership there.
-
Project Purple is being built about two years after the demolition of Kingda Ka, the park's iconic launch coaster that stood 456 feet tall before it was removed in early 2025.
Cite this Entry
“Devastation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastation. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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