Definitions

demolish

[dih-mol-ish] / dɪˈmɒl ɪʃ /

VERB

destroy; consume

Synonyms

STRONGEST

annihilate bulldoze crush decimate devastate dilapidate dismantle flatten obliterate overturn pulverize raze ruin smash smash up trash wreck

STRONG

break burst crack defeat devour eat level overthrow sink torpedo total undo wax wrack

WEAK

gobble up knock down put away put in toilet take apart take out tear down wipe off map

Antonyms

STRONGEST

build construct create help lose raise

STRONG

fasten fix mend strengthen surrender

WEAK

produce rebuild repair restore

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

NAIROBI—A Kenyan court dismissed a lawsuit by a Maasai leader who sought to demolish a Ritz-Carlton luxury safari camp, alleging it blocked a key route of the famous Serengeti migration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026

Graffiti, trash, trespassing and safety issues at the sprawling mall vexed local officials for so many years that they secured an injunction forcing the property owners to redevelop it or demolish it by August.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

For the answer, Chetty and his team looked to a government experiment that started over 30 years ago to demolish and replace rundown public housing projects with housing that had mixed-income levels.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

"If they demolish our field, they will demolish our dreams."

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

It landed with a crash and started thwacking about with such thunder that I was afraid it would demolish the boat.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Vocabulary lists containing demolish

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