razing

verb

present participle of raze
1
as in destroying
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 demolishing
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

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 razing 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, 17 Oct. 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 Its original construction took years and involved razing an entire district of the city. — Benjamin Moser, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2026 After razing huge warehouses in recent months belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online retailer, Ukrainian drones are now taking aim at Ozon, the country’s second-largest e-commerce company. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 In March, Nebraska’s Morrill Fire tore through 642,000 acres to become the largest in state history, killing one person and razing vast stretches of cattle country. — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 By the late 1980s, McAuley’s days clearly were numbered, as the DuPage County Airport Authority, in the midst of a major expansion, began buying and razing most of the remaining homes in the McAuley district. — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 Co-founder Ray Bobbitt, a local face of the project, has floated the idea of razing the former A’s ballpark and replacing it with a smaller stadium, plus a hotel, retail storefronts and nightlife venues, in addition to housing. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 13 July 2026 Mertensotto Field While the new municipal campus is at the same site as the current city hall building, new construction would include razing the baseball field known as Mertensotto Field at Civic Center Park. — Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for razing
  1. destroying
  2. demolishing
  3. ruining
  4. wrecking
  5. shattering
  6. devastating
  7. smashing
Verb
  • After destroying much of Gaza and killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, Israel has regained military control of nearly 70 percent of the strip.
    — Dalia Dassa Kaye, Foreign Affairs, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But if firms lean on AI to cut lower-level work, the risk is destroying the very avenue of apprenticeship that produces future senior associates and managers.
    — Tim Brackney, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • Following the attack, the Israeli military began forcing Palestinian families to leave their homes in parts of the city as forces began demolishing homes and businesses.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Photographs from Hebron showed Israeli bulldozers demolishing at least one Palestinian building.
    — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolishing
Verb
  • The song is a cautionary tale about a brothel in New Orleans known for ruining many poor girls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As wet electrodes get thicker, the liquid binder migrates unevenly during drying, ruining the battery‘s structure.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruining
Verb
  • Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick crossed the line while wrecking after Larson hit the wall trying to chase down Briscoe on the final turn.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Her first job as CEO in 2014 was to remake the century-old company’s corporate culture and regain customers’ trust following a tragic, reputation-wrecking ignition-switch crisis.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrecking
Verb
  • Not since the Tesla Cybertruck made its glass-shattering debut in 2019 has a vehicle’s unveiling proven as polarizing as the Luce event.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The move came after a fireball erupted at this past New Year’s event, shattering windows and injuring a child in downtown Boise.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of shattering
Verb
  • The earthquake comes less than two months after a border region of Nepal and Tibet was struck by devastating flash flooding that left hundreds of people dead and destroyed several communities.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023, devastating large parts of the country and threatening stability along its borders.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastating
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
  • This was the 36th launch and landing for B1063, which notably launched NASA's DART asteroid-smashing mission in November 2021.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of smashing

Browse Nearby Words

razes
razing
razz
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Cite this Entry

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

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