as in disastrous
causing or tending to cause destruction
a devastating blow to our morale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devastating
Carl Anka, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
The consequences of counterfeit software can be unexpected and devastating, including the following impacts:
• Retail System Crashes: Malicious code or malware once embedded can cause system crashes, increasing customer frustration during peak shopping hours.
—Javed Hasan, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
The feature is one of the first independent films going into production in L.A. amid the recent devastating wildfires.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images President Donald Trump's freeze of U.S. foreign humanitarian aid and shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development is having devastating consequences globally, several humanitarian nongovernmental organization leaders told ABC News.
—Julia Cherner, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
Adjective
The deeper a fan invests in a club, the sweeter its high points and the more devastating its lows.
—Carl Anka, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
The consequences of counterfeit software can be unexpected and devastating, including the following impacts:
• Retail System Crashes: Malicious code or malware once embedded can cause system crashes, increasing customer frustration during peak shopping hours.
—Javed Hasan, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
The feature is one of the first independent films going into production in L.A. amid the recent devastating wildfires.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images President Donald Trump's freeze of U.S. foreign humanitarian aid and shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development is having devastating consequences globally, several humanitarian nongovernmental organization leaders told ABC News.
—Julia Cherner, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastating
Adjective
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Kraven, even if audiences didn’t mind it, earned $61 million worldwide, a figure beyond disastrous and what led in part to the shutdown of this Sinister Six-ish collection of films that also included Morbius, with others planned in the future.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
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Three campaigns stand out — one weirdly funny, one weirdly disastrous and one weirdly endearing.—
Steven Hyden,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
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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As a series of explosions could be heard destroying the structure's support pillars, causing the old hotel to fall inward, the crowd of onlookers are heard in the video erupting in cheers.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
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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Among filmmakers, it was seen as a potentially destructive maneuver—the silver left on the negative could damage it over time.—
Stephania Taladrid,
The New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2025
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The horrendously destructive and deadly Los Angeles wildfires erupted in January just as Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s historic and very controversial overhaul of how insurers calculate premiums was taking effect.—
Dan Walters,
The Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2025
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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General Motors is preparing to move out, and an ambitious redevelopment vision that would involve demolishing two RenCen towers is said to hinge on a commitment of public financing support — one that hasn't been forthcoming so far.—
JC Reindl,
Detroit Free Press,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Armed gangs now control approximately 80 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, carrying out kidnappings, extortion, and deadly clashes with security forces.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
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The deadly blaze erupted Saturday just before 2 p.m. near Fenwick Street, officials told WFSB-TV.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
24 Feb. 2025
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
Articles Related to devastating
Cite this Entry
“Devastating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastating. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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