demolish
Reduce to rubble
Demolish means to tear down or destroy completely.
Buildings are demolished to clear land for new construction.
The word extends to anything reduced to rubble or ruin: The team demolished their opponents 42-0.
To demolish an argument is to refute it thoroughly.
A hungry person might demolish a plate of food—consume it entirely and quickly.
Crane-swung demolition weight
- bulldozerBladed vehicle pushing earth
- excavatorMachine that digs earth
- jackhammerPower tool for breaking concrete
- sledgehammerMassive long-handled mallet
crane · backhoe · dynamite · blasting · implosion · safety barriers · hard hat · condemned
Without obstruction or fog
- razeDestroy completely
- tear downDestroy a structure
- knock downCause to collapse
- pull downDestroy or lower forcibly
bring down · topple · fell · level · flatten · gut · strip · dismantle
Compress with force
- trounceDefeat decisively
- routOverwhelming one-sided victory
- annihilateDestroy completely, leaving nothing
- destroyCause complete ruin
obliterate · steamroll · wallop · thrash · pummel · flatten · decimate · dominate
Decayed structural remains
- wreckageDestroyed remains of something
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
- rubbleBroken building fragments
- debrisScattered broken fragments
collapse · implosion · crumbling · smashing · pulverization · annihilation · disintegration · shambles
Prove something untrue
- debunkExpose as false
- dismantleSeparate into parts
- disproveProve something untrue
- discreditHarm another's reputation
invalidate · undermine · rebut · counter · expose · tear apart · pick apart · destroy
Eat greedily and fast
- wolf downEat very quickly
- gobbleEat fast and greedily
- inhaleDraw air in
- polish offFinish something entirely
scarf · consume · gorge · put away · finish off · clean plate · stuff · shovel
wrecking ball
Crane-swung demolition weight
- bulldozerBladed vehicle pushing earth
- excavatorMachine that digs earth
- jackhammerPower tool for breaking concrete
sledgehammer · crane · backhoe · dynamite · blasting · implosion · safety barriers · hard hat · condemned · scaffolding
clear
Without obstruction or fog
- razeDestroy completely
- tear downDestroy a structure
- knock downCause to collapse
pull down · bring down · topple · fell · level · flatten · gut · strip · dismantle · take down
crush
Compress with force
- trounceDefeat decisively
- routOverwhelming one-sided victory
- annihilateDestroy completely, leaving nothing
destroy · obliterate · steamroll · wallop · thrash · pummel · flatten · decimate · dominate · overpower
ruins
Decayed structural remains
- wreckageDestroyed remains of something
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
- rubbleBroken building fragments
debris · collapse · implosion · crumbling · smashing · pulverization · annihilation · disintegration · shambles · ruination
refute
Prove something untrue
discredit · invalidate · undermine · rebut · counter · expose · tear apart · pick apart · destroy · crush
devour
Eat greedily and fast
polish off · scarf · consume · gorge · put away · finish off · clean plate · stuff · shovel · attack
- demolitionraze, bulldoze, wreck, wrecking ball, knock down
- collapsecollapse, cave in, cave-in, fall in, give way
- eating and drinkingeat, drink, chew, bite, swallow
- building verbsbuild, construct, erect, renovate, excavate
- Destroydestroy, annihilate, obliterate, devastate, ruin
- destruction verbsdestroy, wreck, ruin, smash, shatter
- demolition derbyCompetitive automotive destruction event
- demolition derbiesAutomotive destruction competitions
- controlled demolitionDeliberate structural collapse
- building demolition
- demolition crewTeam that destroys buildings
- demolition expertsProfessionals who destroy structures
demolition, demolished, demolishing, demolishes, demolisher, demolishment, undemolished