as in disastrous
causing or tending to cause destruction
a devastating blow to our morale
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ravaging
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the explosion devastated an entire city block
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in overwhelming
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
we were devastated by the awful news of his death
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of devastating
Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 31 Dec. 2024
Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham took control of the country at the beginning of December, overthrowing President Bashar Assad in a devastating campaign that easily marched through the country and into Damascus.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Dec. 2024
The Yonhap News Agency attributed the devastating crash, one of the worst in the country's history, to malfunctioning landing gear.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 29 Dec. 2024
This social isolation and loss of support – even from close friends and family members – is a devastating and often unrecognized side effect of the disease.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devastating 
Adjective
Quoting numerous case studies, Thomson finds peer-on-peer policing has become a regular part of university life, with students deemed to step out of line ostracized, sometimes with devastating consequences.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 31 Dec. 2024
Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham took control of the country at the beginning of December, overthrowing President Bashar Assad in a devastating campaign that easily marched through the country and into Damascus.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Dec. 2024
The Yonhap News Agency attributed the devastating crash, one of the worst in the country's history, to malfunctioning landing gear.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 29 Dec. 2024
This social isolation and loss of support – even from close friends and family members – is a devastating and often unrecognized side effect of the disease.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devastating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastating
Adjective
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This would signal the end of Alex Bregman's career with the Astros. Houston would get a solution at first base following a few years of disastrous play at the position.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
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Bridges blocked out the noise, tuning out the relentless social media scrutiny after a disastrous start to the season.Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The most pressing problem concerns European Union rules on carbon dioxide emissions, with bottom-line-destroying fines for the bigger failures.Neil Winton, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
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At this point, most of the surveys are showing roughly seventy per cent of Israelis would prefer a hostage deal to whatever the alternative is, like destroying Hamas by any means.Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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White corn is particularly popular among craft distilleries, as the mild flavor of its whiskeys allows other mash bill components, such as rye or barley, and the influence of barrel aging to shine without overwhelming the palate.Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
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Some popular online sites might be difficult to access or overwhelming for some age groups to navigate, but a physical card for a physical store could be a better fit.Felecia Wellington Radel, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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City sorely lack a reliable, destructive attacking presence when playing this way — something only made clearer when the other team bulldoze through them with, as happened on Saturday, a former City player.Thom Harris, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
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Hassan was arrested on Tuesday and charged with the distribution of information relating to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction in furtherance of the commission of a federal crime of violence, court records show.Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Which program will pay the most for the valuable service of demolishing them?Sam Blum, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
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His endless highlight reel will be one of the lasting stories of the 2024 college football season — a sledgehammer in shoulder pads, demolishing defenders in his path.Justin Williams, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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After his arrest, Wallen was charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and three counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, a class E felony, the lowest level of felony.Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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Brand new Lockerbie: A Search for Truth (Peacock) Jan. 2 Just days before Christmas in 1988, the UK saw its deadliest terror attack in history when a Pan Am flight was blown up over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 people.Lucy Ford, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This prequel flashes back to a previous Christmas in Los Angeles, when their unintentional destruction of a Santa Claus parade balloon put the city on edge, wrecking the gang's plans for a massive Yuletide bank robbery.EW.com, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
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The vocalist’s sole concerns related to the natural environment, the animal kingdom and humankind’s responsibility for wrecking our only home.Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 12 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Devastating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastating. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
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