Meaning
Demolish means to completely destroy or tear down a building, structure, or object. It can also be used figuratively to mean proving something wrong or defeating someone/something completely.
Grammar and Usage
- Part of speech: Verb
- Transitive: requires an object (They demolished the old building.)
- Used in both literal and figurative senses.
Patterns:
- demolish + building/house/structure
- demolish + argument/theory/opponent
Common Phrases
- demolish a building
- demolish an argument
- demolish the competition
- be demolished by a team
Collocations
- demolish: house, factory, stadium, wall
- demolish: theory, rumor, argument, myth
- demolish: opponent, rival, enemy
Examples
- The city decided to demolish the abandoned factory.
- His lawyer demolished the prosecution’s argument in court.
- The old stadium was demolished to make way for a new shopping center.
- Their team demolished the opposition with a score of 5–0.
- The scientists demolished the old theory with new evidence.
- The earthquake demolished hundreds of homes in the region.
- She demolished the rumor with a single statement.
- The company plans to demolish the outdated office building.
Synonyms or Related
- Destroy
- Tear down
- Wreck
- Ruin
- Flatten
Antonym
- Build
- Construct
- Establish
- Preserve
- Protect