as in to destroy
to deliberately cause the damage or destruction of another's property
he decided to vandalize the store because the owner had kicked him out
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 vandalize
The house was significantly damaged by a fire years ago and has been vandalized with graffiti in recent years.
—
Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
More than 100 headstones and monuments, some of which date back to the 1800s, were vandalized and damaged at a Connecticut cemetery this week, according to police.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
The Greenwood vandalism marks the third time a Hindu place of worship has been vandalized so far in the US in 2025, according to the Coalition of Hindus of North America.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 12 Aug. 2025
The national headquarters of the Israeli-American Council (IAC) in Los Angeles were vandalized with swastikas and Nazi symbols at the weekend, the organization said.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vandalize
Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
More than 100 headstones and monuments, some of which date back to the 1800s, were vandalized and damaged at a Connecticut cemetery this week, according to police.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
The Greenwood vandalism marks the third time a Hindu place of worship has been vandalized so far in the US in 2025, according to the Coalition of Hindus of North America.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 12 Aug. 2025
The national headquarters of the Israeli-American Council (IAC) in Los Angeles were vandalized with swastikas and Nazi symbols at the weekend, the organization said.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vandalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vandalize
Verb
-
Acosta allowed it, and IMG destroyed them.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Later, Howard calls Matt and agrees to cut the sequence but also threatens to destroy him.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Authorities found weapons defaced with slurs and anti-Israel graffiti.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Someone had defaced it overnight with paper cutouts and red paint.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
An image taken on August 19 shows Israeli excavators and bulldozers demolishing buildings in Zeitoun.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In a shocking and dominant performance, Lesnar completely demolished Cena, delivering 16 German suplexes in a one-sided beatdown to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Shoplifting became a political lighting rod, and videos of thieves smashing store windows and grabbing merchandise rocketed across the news and social media as a symbol of a breakdown across cities.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The forward smashed a strike across the goalkeeper and into the top corner, before wheeling away in emotional celebration.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Our family has been ruined by Denise's lies of promising to end a year-long affair.—
Stephanie Wenger,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Polish airspace was violated by at least 19 Russian drones overnight, the country's prime minister said, in a torrent of activity that triggered a response from the NATO country's air force, which scrambled and downed several of the drones.—
Will Gretsky,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
In a 21-page ruling, Talwani found that ICE holding an 18-year-old migrant arrested on charges of shoplifting without a bond hearing violated his due process rights.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Washing a couch or sofa, professional carpet and upholstery cleaner Ben Brazell says, is more precarious than carpet cleaning because the upholstery is often a lot more expensive and much easier to damage.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Private homes, farm buildings and power lines were damaged, Gusev said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Separately, but related, Baldoni’s former publicist Stephanie Jones is suing Baldoni, Nathan and publicist Jennifer Abel for trashing her reputation.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
-
That was when rioters trashed and toppled Confederate statues and other symbols deemed racist and discriminatory.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vandalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vandalize. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share