raze

or rase

[ reyz ]

verb (used with object)

, razed, raz·ing.

1. to tear down; demolish; level to the ground:

   to raze a row of old buildings.

2. to shave or scrape off.

raze

/ reɪz /

verb

1. to demolish (a town, buildings, etc) completely; level (esp in the phrase raze to the ground )
2. to delete; erase
3. archaic.
   to graze

Derived Forms

• ˈrazer, noun

Other Words From

• razer noun
• un·razed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of raze¹

1540–50; Middle English rasen < Middle French raser < *Vulgar Latin rāsāre to scrape, frequentative of Latin rādere to scrape

Word History and Origins

Origin of raze¹

C16: from Old French raser from Latin rādere to scrape

Synonym Study

See destroy.

Example Sentences

Trump has made it clear that he intends to raze that wall in his first days in office.

From Los Angeles Times

From factory farms and energy industries to the forests we raze and the cars we drive, humans engage in a number of activities that emit greenhouse gasses that trap heat and cause the Earth to unnaturally warm beyond what can be explained by volcanoes or natural climate fluctuations.

From Salon

He said if there was no immediate need to raze the facility to use the land for housing, he saw some benefit in UCLA’s offer to increase its annual rent from $300,000 to $600,000.

From Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles paid $12,500 to raze a native plant garden in Elysian Park to protect a metal storage shed from fire.

From Los Angeles Times

"It was my house and I built it with a lot of hard work. How can they just come and raze it without even telling me?"

From BBC

Related Words

• bulldoze
• demolish
• destroy
• dynamite
• erase
• extinguish
• obliterate
• overthrow
• scatter
• smash
• topple
• wipe out
• wreck