demolish
Americanverb (used with object)
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to destroy or ruin (a building or other structure), especially on purpose; tear down; raze.
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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!
Related Words
See destroy.
Other Word Forms
- demolisher noun
- demolishment noun
- half-demolished adjective
- undemolished adjective
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)
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.
Several empty flat blocks were being demolished as part of a regeneration project in the town's Foxbar area.
From BBC
Homeowners have applied for permits to rebuild about a third of some 600 demolished homes, but only 22 have been issued, including just two on the beach as of Dec. 31.
“We’ll be transforming this site from the ground up—demolishing the old buildings and designing a new, modern campus that’s built for how we work best: together,” Chief Executive John Stankey said in the email.
The epilogue takes us 18 months into the future after the Upside Down is demolished and Vecna – and the Mind Flayer – is defeated.
From BBC
The case was dismissed and the building is now demolished.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
