demolish
Americanverb (used with object)
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demolishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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demolished,
past participle, past
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demolishing
present participle
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to destroy or ruin (a building or other structure), especially on purpose; tear down; raze.
-
to put an end to; destroy; explode.
The results of his research demolished many theories.
-
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!
Synonym Usage
See destroy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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demolishsimple
-
demolishessimple
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have demolishedperfect
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has demolishedperfect
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am demolishingprogressive
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are demolishingprogressive
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is demolishingprogressive
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have been demolishingperfect progressive
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has been demolishingperfect progressive
Past
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demolishedsimple
-
had demolishedperfect
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was demolishingprogressive
-
were demolishingprogressive
-
had been demolishingperfect progressive
Future
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)
Explanation
Demolish means “completely destroy,” as a wrecking ball might demolish a building, or as hanging out with one’s parents might, supposedly, demolish a teenager’s reputation. In casual speech, demolish can also mean “devour,” as a group of hungry teenagers might demolish a pizza. The noun form of demolish is demolition, which often implies destruction by means of explosives. Demolish combines the prefix de-, which can mean “undo,” with the Latin verb moliri, meaning “to build" — which makes sense if you are thinking of 'undoing a building' with explosives!
Vocabulary lists containing demolish
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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.
See Examples For:
Across elite enclaves, ultrawealthy buyers are paying eye-popping prices for relatively new homes—only to immediately demolish them to secure irreplaceable land for custom builds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
The only option to build the facility was to demolish the Trojans’ longtime baseball field and displace the program for multiple seasons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Dietmar Arnold, chairman of the Berlin Underworlds Association, told the BBC it would be "absolute madness" to demolish the bunker.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Among her concerns: that the city would demolish the houses before securing a developer and without a financial plan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
“I certainly hope it isn’t snowing up north. My system simply will not function under those conditions. And please watch out for Greyhound Scenicruisers along the way. They’ll demolish a toy like this.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
It isn’t cool, per se, but remains an entity that demolishes traditional cultural standards, be they incongruous high-end finishes and fixtures or burgers topped with fried macaroni and cheese balls and cheddar sauce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Cullen demolishes many of the myths about the killers, including characterizations of them as bullied outsiders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025
While robotics have advanced, and AI demolishes service industries, the idea of a “lights out” factory — meaning there are no human workers — is not quite there yet.
From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2024
"If the government demolishes our houses, at least give us a solution. Tell us where to go. We don't know where to go," she said.
From BBC ● May 3, 2024
Woo demolishes the cinnamon dip with one sweeping lick.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Walmart recently demolished its headquarters building, a low-slung and dingy former warehouse it used since 1971 that embodied the company’s low-cost ethos, and moved into a sprawling new office complex.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Supply has also been reduced by council estate-clearance programmes, she says, which saw thousands of homes demolished from the 1990s.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
But after tenant advocates warned that rent-controlled apartments would be demolished and homeowners complained that density threatened historic neighborhoods, Bass restricted the locations eligible for the program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
The monastery was later demolished and over the centuries the medieval site disappeared under a hospital and houses.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Mr. Go much prefers to sit in the Show Room, in the stained Art Deco theater seats that originally belonged to a movie house in Oakland, now demolished.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
In elite enclaves like Palm Beach, billionaire buyers are demolishing even relatively new houses to secure prime lots for their own custom builds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Others include the construction of a massive White House ballroom that required demolishing the entire historic East Wing, overhauling the Kennedy Center arts venue and plans for an immense triumphal arch.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
The cost of Gary, Ind.’s blight elimination campaign, which includes demolishing part of the downtown, securing investment from local employers and resurrecting dormant neighborhoods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Sabastian Sawe wasn’t the only winner Sunday when he became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours in a legal race, demolishing the world record at the London Marathon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026
Seabiscuit buried the field, demolishing the track record by 1% seconds.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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