raze

verb

ˈrāz How to pronounce raze (audio)
Definition of razenext
1
as in to demolish
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of an entire city block razed by a terrible fire

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to destroy
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces the developer razed the old school building and built a high-rise condominium complex

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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 raze Ultimately Carell and his wife opted to raze the house in favor of a Cape Cod–style custom build, which was completed in 2013. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 28 Sep. 2026 Castles and stately homes were blown up, towns put under siege and their walls razed, churches stripped. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 In the course of three weeks, Israeli soldiers destroyed much of the area, razing schools and mosques and commandeering buildings for use as military posts. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026 Portman first proposed its revamp of Amsterdam Walk in 2023, intending to raze the aging warehouses to build a more dense and vertical project centered on apartments. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for raze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raze
  1. demolish
  2. destroy
  3. ruin
  4. shatter
  5. devastate
Verb
  • Originally designed in 1893 as two side-by-side hotels built by feuding family members, the collective property was demolished in 1929 to make room for the Empire State Building’s construction.
    — Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Plans to either demolish the structure or preserve it were offered by various community groups.
    — Pam DeFiglio, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolish
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
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

rays
raze
razed
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Cite this Entry

“Raze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raze. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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