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
-
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:
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
But now there are plans to demolish it to build flats and offices.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 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
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
And he demolishes his own ego by throwing himself into something wild and capricious headfirst.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
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
Woo demolishes the cinnamon dip with one sweeping lick.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Ms. Margolles purchased a home in the middle of this and demolished it, here reconstructing the rubble into a rectangular minimalist monument that stretches across a large gallery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Two nearby buildings were left in a dangerous state, he added, with inspections under way "to determine if they can remain standing or if they also have to be demolished".
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
The Sports Arena was ultimately demolished for BMO Stadium, and the proposed museum site shifted to surface parking lots elsewhere in Exposition Park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
England again demolished the dismal Pakistan batting to move on course for a 3-0 clean sweep on the opening day of the third Test at Edgbaston.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Circling the hill were tumbledown stables and something resembling a demolished chicken roost.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
A third runway would mean demolishing hundreds of homes, diverting rivers and rerouting a section of the M25 motorway through a tunnel.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Of the options for what to do with it once bought, demolishing the site was out of the question for historians.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 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
Sabastian Sawe wasn’t the only winner Sunday when he became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours in a legal race, demolishing the world record at the London Marathon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026
My neighborhood has a way of demolishing any hope I have for a brighter future.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
