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
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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
-
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:
The Rams proceeded to demolish Jacksonville, a team that made the postseason, 35-7.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The attorney “had sort of written the playbook about how to demolish any case against these men,” said O’Brien, author of the recently published “Errol Flynn: The True Story of Australia’s Hollywood Icon.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
In February, the Labour-led authority agreed to buy the centre so they could demolish it.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 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
Agents would tear off each key after using it and then burn or otherwise demolish it.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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
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
Tyler Locklear demolishes a baseball that was easily the hardest-hit in live BP today, landing beyond the white trucks over the left-field wall.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2024
Woo demolishes the cinnamon dip with one sweeping lick.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
I lived in Santa Monica for a while, then after the earthquake my place was demolished.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The monastery was later demolished and over the centuries the medieval site disappeared under a hospital and houses.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
A prison compound in Indonesia has been demolished after public outcry following the discovery of luxury apartments within the penitentiary.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Ms. Margolles purchased a home in the middle of this and demolished it, here reconstructing the rubble into a rectangular minimalist monument that stretches across a large gallery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Desks and chairs were falling apart as if being demolished by mysterious unheard dynamite explosions.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
In 2024, crews finished demolishing four dams on the Klamath River, completing the largest dam removal effort in U.S. history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The design for the embassy by David Chipperfield Architects involves restoring and partially demolishing and extending existing the historic buildings on the bank of the Thames.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
But they dreaded demolishing the 800-square-foot cabin because it held such strong family memories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
Trump has embarked on several other major renovations in Washington, including demolishing the East Wing of the White House, where he aims to build a huge ballroom.
From Barron's ● Apr. 25, 2026
He slurped and licked and carried on, demolishing the entire bowl and looking up for more.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
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