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.
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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!
Synonym Usage
See destroy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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demolishsimple
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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
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were demolishingprogressive
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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:
In February, the Labour-led authority agreed to buy the centre so they could demolish it.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Israeli army radio said the two-week timeline to demolish the house was an "unprecedented record time".
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 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
Gary, Ind., is launching an $80 million campaign to demolish 7,000 abandoned homes and businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
One day word came that the authorities had decided not to demolish all of Alexandra at one go, but in stages.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
But “Influencers” both dwells in and demolishes an online, text-happy, selfie-saturated world, one that thrives on misinformation and FOMO-mongering and drives CW more than a little crazy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
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
The Sports Arena was ultimately demolished for BMO Stadium, and the proposed museum site shifted to surface parking lots elsewhere in Exposition Park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
The administration has also warned in a court filing the storied arts venue may have to be demolished if courts block the president's plans to overhaul the landmark.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
The administration demolished the old East Wing last year and began replacing it with a new structure that includes an underground military installation and an aboveground ballroom.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
Which is precisely what propelled Scheffler when he demolished the field at the first playoff event at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Sue, Bruce, and Dan carried Brian to a demolished cabin thirty feet away.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Anta collaborated with Chinese scientists to develop a type of foam cushion made with nitrogen that provides extra bounciness—all but demolishing Nike’s competitive moat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 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
Network Rail said that substantial progress had been made on demolishing the historic building and making it safe to open all the platforms in the station.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
The straightforward solution, after demolishing the adjoining building, would have been to extend the facade to the south.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
She's obviously enjoying demolishing Shanti's cousin in front of everybody.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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.
