1
as in destroys
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 shatters
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 smashes
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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Recent Examples of demolishes
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
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Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demolishes
Verb
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Accordingly, the treatments misprescribed can be ineffective at best and harmful at worst, all while the parasite further destroys the cornea.—
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The bill also establishes a Class A misdemeanor if someone, without authorization of the patients, alters, forges, conceals or destroys a request for medication or rescission of a request for medication to affect a health care decision.—
Verb
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Continue reading … RISE UP – Catholic conference shatters attendance records as 26,000 young people flock to faith event.—
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The drop shatters a plate from Andrew's mother's irreplaceable collection of heirloom china and prompts Andrew to fire Enzo.—
Verb
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Ben smashes chests and heads in, tears jaws out, rips faces off, and director Johannes Roberts makes sure to include brief close-ups of the carnage, lit just dimly enough to avoid truly grossing us out.—
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When Ben smashes a television set, perhaps Roberts is even making some sort of societal point.—
Verb
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Following the adventures of the titular sheep, the franchise’s latest takes place at Mossy Bottom Farm on Halloween Eve, watching as excitement turns to dismay when the clumsy Farmer ruins the pumpkin patch.—
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In fact, some of the greatest novels are about how reading ruins lives—starting with the book often considered the first modern novel, Don Quixote.—
Verb
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On a recent morning in midtown Manhattan, Spike Lee blows on an imaginary pair of dice before hurling them to the ground.—
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Brunson fakes the swing to the right corner, blows past VJ Edgecombe, gets both feet into the paint, draws two defenders and finds OG Anunoby in the left corner.—
Verb
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Americans are used to thinking about automation as something that devastates factory towns in the heartland.—
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The novel is about three teenagers experiencing the joy and angst of their senior year in a New York City high school as the AIDS crisis devastates their community.—
Verb
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This process wrecks kidney and heart tissue, causing the heart to enlarge and blood vessels to become stiffer, impeding circulation and setting the stage for clots.—
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The larger dragon has two car launchers and a fire-breathing effect that wrecks passing cars.—
Cite this Entry
“Demolishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demolishes. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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