1
as in to destroy
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
developers demolished the old warehouse to make room for the new shopping mall
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2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
most of the buildings in the town had been demolished in the bombing raid
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3
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
terrorists used a powerful pipe bomb to demolish the concrete wall around the compound
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demolish
But the Somali government account was contradicted by the WFP, which said in a statement to the Associated Press that its warehouse in Mogadishu port had been demolished by port authorities.
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Omar Faruk, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, Haddon Hall, the sprawling Victorian mansion in nearby Beckenham that Bowie rented from 1969-73 and wrote some of his most legendary work, was demolished in the 1980s.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
The bridge has been closed since last month and was in the process of being demolished.
—Mike Darnay, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The move came after the Office of County Administration released December cost estimates for demolishing the building and renovating it.
—John Lomax V, Houston Chronicle, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolish
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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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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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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Moermond and several other speakers at a public hearing immediately prior to the vote encouraged the council to order the structure razed and removed, though even some critics of the corporation’s handling of its vacant property worried about adding another empty lot to the neighborhood.—
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Preservationists worry study could suggest razing the buildings The possible demolition of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and Miller High Life Theatre are facing a potential roadblock due to a City Hall decision.—
Verb
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Group members want to see Bonta’s office take ownership of a review, as occurred in Hawaii after Maui’s devastating Lahaina fire.—
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The regime’s regional proxies have been devastated.—
Verb
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The conservative impulse — skepticism of sweeping change, respect for traditions, wariness of unintended consequences — can prevent politics from becoming a moral joyride that smashes against the guardrails and calls it courage.—
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As Hodges stood there, scared and vulnerable, the man grabbed his baton and bashed him on the head with it, rupturing his lip and smashing his skull.—
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.—
Verb
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
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Somehow, this new sensation emitted an awareness of the magnitude in which skateboarding would warp my life, which only ratcheted up the anxiety of blowing it.—
Cite this Entry
“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolish. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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