Meaning & use
demolish
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To pull down or destroy a building or other large structure completely.
Grammar: Takes an object: demolish a building.
Patterns
- demolish a building
- demolish a wall
- demolish something with something
The old factory was demolished to make way for a new park.
Workers used explosives to demolish the bridge.
They plan to demolish the unsafe apartment block next month.
verbtransitiveinformal
To defeat an opponent or prove an argument wrong very easily and completely.
Grammar: Takes an object: demolish an opponent or an argument.
Patterns
- demolish an argument
- demolish the opposition
She demolished his argument with a few well-chosen facts.
The team demolished their rivals 5–0.
His lawyer demolished the witness's testimony in minutes.
verbtransitiveinformal
To eat a large amount of food very quickly and eagerly.
Grammar: Takes an object: demolish a meal.
Patterns
- demolish a meal
- demolish a plate of something
He demolished a whole pizza by himself.
The kids demolished the cake in minutes.
Word forms
| third person singular | demolishes |
|---|---|
| past tense | demolished |
| past participle | demolished |
| -ing form | demolishing |
Common combinations
- demolish a building
- They had to demolish the building after the earthquake.
- demolish an argument
- The professor demolished the student's argument with ease.
- demolish the opposition
- The candidate demolished the opposition in the debate.
- demolish a meal
- After the game, the players demolished a huge meal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- destroy
- Destroy is a general word for ruining something completely; demolish specifically means tearing down a structure, often deliberately.
- raze
- Raze is formal and means to destroy a building or city completely, often by fire or war; demolish is more neutral and can be planned.
- flatten
- Flatten means to knock something down so it lies flat; demolish suggests a more thorough breaking apart.
Opposites
Word family
- demolition noun
- The act of tearing down a building.
- demolisher noun
- A person or machine that demolishes buildings.
Commonly confused: demolish or destroy?
demolish vs destroy
Destroy is broader and can mean ruining anything (e.g., destroy a reputation); demolish is mostly used for buildings and structures, and informally for arguments or food.
Practice
The city council decided to ______ the old library and build a new one.
Choose one answer.
Demolish is the best choice for tearing down a building in a planned way. Destroy is too general, raze is more formal and often implies total destruction by fire or war, and flatten suggests making something flat rather than removing it completely.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “demolish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.