devastation

noun

Definition of devastationnext
as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless the sheer devastation of the housing development by the forest fire

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 devastation By then, fire had ravaged the community; the report suggests that incident commanders were unaware of the devastation. — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 How to Help Nepal’s Flood Victims Despite the devastation, there has been a beacon of hope. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026 But Cuban leaders have dug in, resisting political concessions and launching limited economic reforms to cope with the country’s economic devastation. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026 Knauss also shared photos of the devastation from the hurricane, which showed chairs overturned in the sanctuary and pools of water that damaged every corner of the facility. — Raymond Strickland, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 Nearly a year after the ceasefire in Gaza, the analyst Jaser AbuMousa explains the impediments to rebuilding, and the devastation of his own family. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives. — Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2026 My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and the loss of civilians' lives, of children's lives. — Jack Moore, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 Our hearts have been broken by the scale and devastation and loss of civilian’s lives, of children’s lives. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastation
  1. destruction
  2. havoc
  3. loss
  4. extinction
  5. demolition
Noun
  • Sixty-five percent of Gazans agreed that armed resistance had failed to protect Palestinians and had instead brought destruction.
    — Michael Robbins, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Look past the 1951 setting, however, and the movie's anti-war message about humanity being on a crash course to destruction has never lost its poignancy.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • The storms have caused flooding, havoc and devastation in several parts of Chile.
    — Nayara Batschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • So where does this rank among the wackiest havoc ever wreaked by domes on innocent baseballs?
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • The devastating loss of the coast has opened up the path for a change in the Saudis’ intolerance for dissent within the anti-Houthi coalition, however.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The rite symbolizes the deceased's final departure from the world of the living and helps the family come to terms with the loss.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of loss
Noun
  • LeCun is more concerned about AI regulatory capture than human extinction.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Florida panther was close to extinction when the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the predecessor of the Endangered Species Act, was passed and led to changes that began to help stabilize the population.
    — Timothy Randhir, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of extinction
Noun
  • Earlier this week, a single Republican senator blocked Democrats' attempts to stop the construction of the arch as well as the demolition of the Kennedy Center.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Phoenix also holds stakes in at least eight other companies providing equipment for the Israeli military ranging from drones to warships to demolition machinery, CNN found.
    — Allegra Goodwin, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolition

Browse Nearby Words

devastating
devastation
devastations
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Cite this Entry

“Devastation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastation. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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