as in destroyed
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1
as in ravaged
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires
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2
as in ruined
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the explosion devastated an entire city block
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3
as in overwhelmed
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 devastated
Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
The latest hurricane strike comes on the heels of Helene, which left a trail of devastated communities across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2024
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2024
Several days after floodwaters devastated entire communities in western North Carolina, only now are the first few victims being identified — as authorities warn of more to come.
—NBC News, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devastated 
Adjective
For the devastated people of the region, news of a local baseball wunderkind making it in Japan’s big leagues was a balm.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
The latest hurricane strike comes on the heels of Helene, which left a trail of devastated communities across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2024
Verb
The situation reached a tragic crescendo with the Beirut Port explosion in August 2020 — the largest non-nuclear blast to date—that devastated large parts of the city, further exposing governmental failings and amplifying public despair.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2024
Several days after floodwaters devastated entire communities in western North Carolina, only now are the first few victims being identified — as authorities warn of more to come.
—NBC News, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devastated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastated
Verb
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The wineries surrounding this area did suffer some damage, but only one had a portion of its vineyards destroyed.Jessica Dupuy, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
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Prior to Thursday, the analysts at the open-source intelligence collective Oryx had tallied one destroyed Nebo-M and two damaged ones.David Axe, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
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In April, Osbourne told Rolling Stone he was overwhelmed by the excitement his friends and fans have expressed about his induction.Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2024
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The lack of pressure on the ball created an overflow of drives to the rim for opponents that overwhelmed their typically trusty, defensive center.Esfandiar Baraheni, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Rescue crews are hindered by cell service outages and ruined roads and bridges as federal officials warn money to help people get back on their feet is tenuous with 57 days still left in the official hurricane season.Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024
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Instead of basking at the park's desert ecosystem, visitors left graffiti and ruined trails.Louis Casiano, Fox News, 1 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Buildings on site tied to the Cadillac dealership have already been demolished as part of the redevelopment plans, including a parts service building and a collision, paint, and repair center.Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 4 Oct. 2024
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The distillery operated sporadically before being mothballed in 1998 and demolished in 2013.Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Federal officials and experts are warning that the winds and floodwaters from Helene that wrecked the Southeast carry unscrupulous fraudsters amid the flotsam.Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
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When the smoke cleared, 16 MT-LBs and a tank lay wrecked.David Axe, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Devastated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastated. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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