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:
Israeli army radio said the two-week timeline to demolish the house was an "unprecedented record time".
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
"How can they be looking to demolish everything without knowing if people are still under there?" she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
Juneau, Alaska, plans to demolish seven historic homes on Telephone Hill to build up to 155 new housing units, addressing a housing shortage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
Officials have approved plans to demolish the damaged complex and build a new hostel.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
“I certainly hope it isn’t snowing up north. My system simply will not function under those conditions. And please watch out for Greyhound Scenicruisers along the way. They’ll demolish a toy like this.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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
"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
That demolishes Meadows’ argument that his conduct fell under his duties as a federal official and therefore must be tried in federal court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2023
Woo demolishes the cinnamon dip with one sweeping lick.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
A second building with three classrooms was declared "condemned" and demolished about five years ago with assurance that a better one would be rebuilt.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The former Promenade Mall was demolished this year to help make way for the new 52-acre project.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Again, they demolished the dwelling that stood on that parcel in order to begin construction on another custom manse, which they broke ground on in 2024.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
These findings point to the existence of an original moon system that was demolished when Triton, Neptune's biggest moon, was likely captured by the planet's gravity after it formed elsewhere in the solar system.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
Ready to get demolished like an old apartment building?
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
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
“We’re encouraging people to spread out and support independent businesses rather than all going to one place and demolishing the kitchen.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 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
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
The city made good on its promise to bulldoze blighted areas, demolishing thousands of derelict houses and hundreds of crumbling businesses in Hayti.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
