demolish

verb

de·​mol·​ish di-ˈmä-lish How to pronounce demolish (audio)
demolished; demolishing; demolishes
Synonyms of demolish

transitive verb

1
: tear down, raze
demolish a building
2
: to cause irreparable damage to: such as
a
: to break to pieces : smash
His car was demolished in the accident.
b
: to do away with : destroy
… a filibuster which would effectively demolish the issue …—Current Biography
… a performance so awkward and apathetic it instantly appeared to demolish any chance of restoring her declining career …—Dave Itzkoff
c
: to strip of any pretense of merit or credence
demolished her debate opponents
demolish a stereotype
demolished myths about the disease
3
informal : to defeat (a person or team) easily or completely
4
informal : to eat all of quickly
demolished the pizza
demolisher noun
demolishment
di-ˈmä-lish-mənt How to pronounce demolish (audio)
noun

Synonyms of demolish

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Examples of demolish in a Sentence

The old factory was demolished to make way for a new parking lot. Tons of explosives were used to demolish the building. The town hopes to restore the old theater rather than have it demolished. The car was demolished in the accident. They demolished the other team 51–7.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 18-year-old female elephant got loose from her handler outside her enclosure, then went on the run, demolishing the door of a saloon on North Avenue, smashing in the window of another and walking through the fence around a vacant lot. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 Details about which buildings could be demolished and what could rise alongside the stadium are still to come. — Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026 Shawn Curtis' apartment, right, will be demolished in the coming days. — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026 For many, like the preservationists pushing to save Santa Monica’s Mel’s Drive-In, the mere thought of demolishing the iconic restaurant is offensive. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for demolish

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French demolir, extended stem demoliss- (with final conformed to earlier English verbs with the same ending, as nourish, perish), borrowed from Latin dēmōlīrī, dēmōlīre "to throw off, pull down, raze," from dē- de- + mōlīrī "to labor to bring about, strive, build, construct." probably derivative of mōlēs "large mass, massive structure, effort, exertion" — more at mole entry 4

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of demolish was in 1560

Rhymes for demolish

See All Rhymes for demolish

Browse Nearby Words

DeMolay
demolish
demolition
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demolish. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

demolish

verb
de·​mol·​ish di-ˈmäl-ish How to pronounce demolish (audio)
a
: tear down, raze
b
: to break to pieces : smash 2 : to do away with : put an end to
demolisher noun
demolishment
-ish-mənt How to pronounce demolish (audio)
noun
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