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
-
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:
Across elite enclaves, ultrawealthy buyers are paying eye-popping prices for relatively new homes—only to immediately demolish them to secure irreplaceable land for custom builds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
“There is no reason to demolish a park that families across San Francisco love,” Stoppelman said in a statement, adding that he enjoys going there with his children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 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
Israeli army radio said the two-week timeline to demolish the house was an "unprecedented record time".
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
If the government decided to demolish Newsome Park tomorrow, there simply would be no place for the residents to go.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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
Eugène Atget set about documenting medieval sections of Paris as they were being demolished and modernized.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
Eight weeks later, she was told the home was unsafe and would need to be demolished.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Separately, a worshipper has petitioned the high court over restrictions on prayers and fears that the mosque could be demolished.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
They hired an attorney and expected a court fight but instead reached a confidential settlement to sell the property to the utility to be demolished.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
By 1951, the Propeller Research Tunnel was declared obsolete and demolished, and the engineers that had staffed it were left to find a new specialty or retire.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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
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
She's obviously enjoying demolishing Shanti's cousin in front of everybody.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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