nuke

as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of a pretty sizable piece of real estate would be nuked if an asteroid struck

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 nuke The Anyone but You star portrays quarterback Russ Holliday, who disguises himself as a fictional person and walks onto a struggling football team in the South after bad behavior nukes his college career. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Dec. 2024 Pyongyang now routinely, almost casually, threatens to nuke South Korea and the United States. Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024 Sunday was a striking microcosm of their season; an effort nuked by quarterback turnovers in the first half and special teams errors in the second, that proved unsalvageable despite strong defense throughout. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 2 Jan. 2024 South Koreans, who would bear the brunt of U.S. retaliation, were skittish about a military option even when Kim was threatening to nuke them over the deployment of the missile defense system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD. Daniel R. Russel, Foreign Affairs, 12 June 2018 See All Example Sentences for nuke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuke
Verb
  • Lost in a sea of ash: When wildfire destroys a home — and a loved one’s urn — the search begins.
    Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025
  • This is a major U-turn from Riot, after completely revamping the rewards system at the start of the year and being destroyed by fans for it.
    Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Many have long since been demolished or altered beyond recognition, but some of the most beautiful have miraculously kept their original structures and decoration intact.
    The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Some residential buildings have been demolished; a hole is punched into the side of a mosque; chunks of broken concrete now bare the inside of someone’s home to the outside world.
    Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Sometimes, one bad person or a few bad people can ruin things for everybody.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Don Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Without an effective treatment, the disease could devastate her harvest, leaving her unable to repay her loans or provide for her family.
    Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
  • On Hollywood's biggest night, Colman Domingo led a tequila toast to the resilience of Los Angeles in the wake of the wildfires that devastated the city.
    Jessica Wang, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • As the two vehicles collided, there was a loud boom; their windshields shattered, and the scene was engulfed in smoke.
    Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Recent events have shattered her image as a role model—a persona that has long been disputed by some of her co-stars.
    Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • With Austin Cindric and Erik Jones locked in a side-by-side battle to decide a Daytona 500 qualifying race less than 100 yards from the finish line, cars wrecked behind them and NASCAR immediately hit the caution button.
    Jeff Gluck, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
  • As with other official statements over the previous two days, Webster said the cause is still under investigation and offered no reasons why the plane could have wrecked.
    Bill Lukitsch The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS), arkansasonline.com, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • And being choked at the age of 80 while your face is being smashed into the ground?
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Her shop’s front glass door was smashed and her point of sale system, electronics and some merchandise were taken.
    Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nuke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuke. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on nuke

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!