1
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to destroy
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 to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
we were devastated by the awful news of his death
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devastate
Scenario two is that Harbaugh is leveraging the Giants’ rabid interest but ultimately could take a different job, devastating this desperate fan base.
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Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Rubella, also called German measles, is mild in children but devastating to fetuses, causing deafness, heart defects and intellectual disabilities when pregnant women are infected.
—Jake Scott, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The Palisades and Eaton wildfires — which devastated neighborhoods across Los Angeles County, including Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Pasadena and Altadena — burned for 31 days before being fully contained.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Morganton was among many mountain towns devastated when the remnants of Hurricane Helene dumped 30 inches of rain on western North Carolina.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastate
Verb
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Dysentery and scurvy ravaged the vessel, killing or incapacitating many on board.—
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Nineteens went to the right flank, near where the Kinneloa Fire had ravaged that neighborhood in 1993.—
Verb
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So, automation can be used to destroy labor or workers’ power, but it can also be used in the opposite direction.—
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Homes, businesses and synagogues were destroyed.—
Verb
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Duncyte, the master’s student from Lithuania, said she was immediately overwhelmed by Colorado’s beauty and wildlife.—
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Families will drop their plans, get sicker and even die without essential treatment, and hospitals will be overwhelmed with untreated people coming to the emergency room.—
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
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This will either change your life or ruin you.—
Verb
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Samsung says these structural improvements allow the HP5 to overcome traditional low-light limitations.—
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Vance’s second biggest battle is overcoming political history, which statistically does not favor incumbent vice presidents’ chances of winning the White House.—
Verb
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It is designed to mirror the East Wing addition after the previous building was demolished last year.—
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In order to do so, the city has to acquire the land and purchase the properties — valued at $22 million total — and demolish them, causing several businesses to close or relocate to make way for the project.—
Verb
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The Creature is slowed, however, when gunfire shatters the ice around its feet, plunging it into the cold sea.—
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Troconis’ case for being a cooperating witness was shattered when Dulos died after attempting to commit suicide in January 2020, Bowman testified.—
Verb
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Guardiola’s lads look back to their best in the early months of this season after the extended wobble in the previous one that wrecked their hopes of a fifth straight domestic title.—
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Phillips croons about a mother’s bond with her child as Swinton walks off, her character freshly wrecked by a visit with her son in prison.—
Cite this Entry
“Devastate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastate. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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