demolition derby

noun

1
: a contest in which skilled drivers ram old cars into one another until only one car remains running
2
: something that resembles a demolition derby in destructiveness

Examples of demolition derby in a Sentence

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.
Eve of Destruction, an annual demolition derby in bucolic Hudson Valley, New York. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026 Critics dismissed it as little more than a high-speed demolition derby where perfectly good race cars were sacrificed for an exhibition that paid no championship points. — Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Every Sunday is just a demolition derby, masked by metal and our feverish collective, institutionalized blood lust. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 July 2026 Chief Daniel Mielke will also be participating in Motorhome Madness, a demolition derby that helps support Rady Children’s Health, formerly CHOC. — Terri Daxon, Oc Register, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for demolition derby

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of demolition derby was in 1950

Rhymes for demolition derby

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Browse Nearby Words

demolition bomb
demolition derby
demolitionist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demolition derby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demolition%20derby. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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