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wrecker's ball

American  
Or wrecking ball

noun

  1. a heavy metal ball swung on a cable from a crane and used in demolition work.


Etymology

Origin of wrecker's ball

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70


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:

Many noteworthy buildings fell to the wrecker’s ball, but there are several architectural gems here.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 5, 2021

In some parts of the city, there are still buildings waiting for either the repairer’s scaffold or the wrecker’s ball.

From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2021

As demand for commercial property surges with a strengthening downtown economy, preservationists and the city authorities are searching for ways to defend the fabric of this historic city from the wrecker’s ball.

From New York Times ● Nov. 14, 2017

Homs may be an extreme case, but the reality is that vast stretches of Syria are now fit only for the wrecker’s ball.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2016

The museum is located in the main room of an old schoolhouse that the local historical society saved from the wrecker's ball by having it declared an historical landmark.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

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