nuke

verb

Definition of nukenext
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of a pretty sizable piece of real estate would be nuked if an asteroid struck

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nuke The research firm - now a part of French investment firm Societe Generale - is out with a bold new note that nukes a part of the nuclear thesis. — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 9 July 2026 Iran wants it as a deterrent to being nuked. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026 And more recently, Cornyn was among many Republicans reluctant to nuke the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold to pass the Save America Act to impose nationwide voter ID laws. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 27 May 2026 One of them nukes a ton of Gmail functionality, and neither is explained very well. — ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nuke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuke
  1. destroy
  2. demolish
  3. ruin
  4. devastate
  5. shatter
  6. wreck
  7. smash
Verb
  • Rather than undertaking the difficult but just and moral work of reform of the nation's immigration laws, Vance would destroy and expel their families with a smile, claiming that such actions will save you money.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Running low on fuel, NASA chose to steer Cassini straight into Saturn's atmosphere, where the spacecraft was destroyed.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • For one thing, Baron Haussmann had demolished swaths of the neighborhood in the mid-eighteen-hundreds to create the Place de la République.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In the 1990s, plans to demolish the deteriorating site and replace it with an underground car park sparked fierce opposition from local residents and traders, who successfully campaigned to save it.
    — Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • Artificial, though, ends with a scene that convincingly conveys the extent to which AI will ruin all our lives.
    — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Civic, before it was smashed and ruined, had been a private world, an extension of myself.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Janice was disgusted; Mary was emotionally devastated and financially ruined.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The men said learning about the latest attack left them devastated for the mother and toddler, and determined to speak out.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • However, her plans are shattered when the body of a young woman is discovered in a bog, drawing Nora into a complex murder investigation alongside the local Garda team.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The story follows the transformation of Adriana (Colin), a woman shattered by a terrible murder and who discovers the strength to start over, driven by an unquenchable thirst for justice.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • The story centers on an influencer whose life is wrecked by an online pile-on.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • If checking your score reliably wrecks your morning, the device isn’t working for you.
    — J. David Creswell, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of wreck
Verb
  • In Tirana this week, protesters smashed windows, set alight ​government buildings and clashed with police.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Federal officials maintain the immigration officers believed their lives were in danger and opened fire only after Belgal smashed his car into two government vehicles and accelerated toward them.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of smash

Browse Nearby Words

nuisances
nuke
nuked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nuke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuke. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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