demolish
Americanverb (used with object)
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to destroy or ruin (a building or other structure), especially on purpose; tear down; raze.
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to put an end to; destroy; explode.
The results of his research demolished many theories.
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to lay waste to; ruin utterly.
The fire demolished the area.
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Informal. to devour completely.
We simply demolished that turkey.
verb
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to tear down or break up (buildings, etc)
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to destroy; put an end to (an argument, etc)
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facetious to eat up
she demolished the whole cake!
Related Words
See destroy.
Other Word Forms
- demolisher noun
- demolishment noun
- half-demolished adjective
- undemolished adjective
Etymology
Origin of demolish
1560–70; < Middle French démoliss-, stem of démolir < Latin dēmōlīrī to destroy, equivalent to dē- de- + mōlīrī to set in motion, struggle ( mōl ( ēs ) mass, bulk + -īrī infinitive suffix)
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.
Some thieves say they got it lawfully, while demolishing a building or replacing old wire.
Exxon Mobil said it had been seeking a buyer for several months and it would clean up and then demolish the site once production ends.
From BBC
It added that preventing displaced populations from returning and demolishing homes amounted to ethnic cleansing.
From Barron's
Five existing university-owned apartment buildings with a total of 52 beds would be demolished to make way for the new building.
From Los Angeles Times
NAROK, Kenya—Leaders of the Maasai ethnic group are seeking a court order to demolish a new Ritz-Carlton luxury safari camp they say blocks a key route of the famous Serengeti migration.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
