raze

verb

razed; razing

transitive verb

1
: to destroy to the ground : demolish
raze an old building
2
a
: to scrape, cut, or shave off
b
archaic : erase
razer noun

Examples of raze in a Sentence

an entire city block razed by a terrible fire the developer razed the old school building and built a high-rise condominium complex
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Toy store, Khan Younis Before War has razed the Barbakh building to the ground, and the siblings and cousins who lived there are scattered. Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2024 The child and her father are among the handful of people whose bodies are still under the rubble of a multistory apartment building in Beirut’s southern suburbs that was razed in Friday’s air strike. Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024 Developers will raze a Tempe hotel near the Arizona State University campus to build an eight-story student housing development, according to plans approved by the Tempe City Council in October. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 2 Nov. 2024 In about 1958, developers Darrow Garner and F.G. Larimore bought the Strode's and Fones' property, razed the buildings, and built the IGA Thriftway Food Store for Big Jim Croxdale and Jimmy Rieff. James F. Hales Remembering Rogers, arkansasonline.com, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for raze 

Word History

Etymology

alteration of rase

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of raze was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near raze

Cite this Entry

“Raze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raze. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

raze

verb
razed; razing
: to destroy completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces : demolish
razed the building

More from Merriam-Webster on raze

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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