pulverize

verb

ˈpəl-və-ˌrīz How to pronounce pulverize (audio)
Definition of pulverizenext
1
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of buildings pulverized by a killer tornado

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles pulverize the cement into dust for reuse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pulverize Storms pulverized the southeast metro area with heavy rain and substantial hail. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2026 Mortar and Pestle Step away from the cute portable blender or countertop blending beast, because the old-fashioned way to pulverize something is oftentimes best. — Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 30 July 2026 Portions of its skeleton featured pulverizing bite marks and missing chunks that all bore the hallmark signs of another predatory attack. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 July 2026 This would lead to massive deceleration forces that instantly pulverize standard tracking electronics, leaving search teams completely blind. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pulverize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulverize
  1. destroy
  2. grind
  3. demolish
  4. crush
  5. shatter
  6. pound
  7. ruin
  8. beat
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
  • The Gators have ground to make up, and Georgia is on the horizon.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The stock still looks cheap, trading at a mid-teens multiple on forward earnings estimates, which should help shares grind higher.
    — Alexa LoMonaco,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of grind
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
  • Dodgers three-peat dream dies Milwaukee completed a four-game sweep of the Dodgers with a crushing 6-4 win Thursday at Dodger Stadium.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Oregano, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper add a deeper savory element to the cream cheese base.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of crush
Verb
  • Overwhelmed police forces often failed to intervene as thousands of vandals, many wearing masks and caps that hid their faces, shattered storefront windows and walked off with merchandise.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • When Ida suddenly disappears, Sine’s world is shattered, yet her lost freedom, old friends, and acting career unexpectedly return.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • When Louise would remember the show decades later, the audience was always so electric that the room exploded into stamping feet and pounding fists.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Ukraine briefly halted such attacks, but has since resumed them — while Russia never stopped pounding Ukraine’s energy plants and cities.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of pound
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
  • For founders sitting atop a mountain of stock, that beats selling shares, paying tax, and then giving away the cash.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The defense has exceeded expectations and continues to cement itself as a top-20, maybe even a top-15 defense, while the offense remains a disappointment, even after beating the Bears (4-2, 2-1).
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of beat

Browse Nearby Words

pulsing
pulverize
pulverized
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Cite this Entry

“Pulverize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulverize. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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