RAVAGES Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

ravages 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of ravage

as in destroys

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action the hurricane ravaged the state and caused billions of dollars worth of damage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ravages

2 of 2

noun

plural of ravage

as in ruins

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 ravages

Verb

Over four decades, Steve Hanke has pursued a worldwide quest to tame the hyperinflation that so frequently ravages developing nations. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 As Hurricane Lala ravages Hawaii, three people have died amid the storm. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026 And now, as Ebola ravages the Congo, advocates say that this is exactly the sort of outbreak that money and coordination was intended to contain. — Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026 Wildfire ravages Simi Valley as evacuations are underway. — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 20 May 2026 Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026 Over time, toxins accumulate, and the genetic disorder ravages children’s organs, including their heart — and in many cases, their brain, leading to dementia-like symptoms. — Elizabeth Chuck, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026 As of early Monday morning, nearly 150 flights at MIA had been impacted, and that's expected to increase as the winter storm ravages the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. — February 23, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026 The tall green trees pop against the clear blue sky, until a wildfire ravages the forest and changes Grainger’s life. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ravages

Verb

T cells, a type of immune cell that detects and destroys infected or abnormal cells, normally perform this inspection.

— William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroys

Noun

A little under three miles away, the ruins of the original Strancally Castle date back much further, to the 12th century.

— Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026
Take a walk around Baixa Chiado, marvel at the Santa Justa outdoor lift connecting the lower areas of the Baixa with the higher Carmo Square, and head to the ruins of an old church at Carmo Archaeological Museum.

— Ann Lee, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruins

Verb

As climate chaos causes oceans to swallow coastlands, and as surging water displaces and devastates communities, social survival will demand that people find ways to live and work with – and on – the water.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026
The urban planner and former professor also knows what happens next after a powerful earthquake devastates whole communities.

— Luis Giraldo, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of devastates

Noun

These attempts to keep down the unquiet dead were, besides being desecrations, exercises in a lot of heavy and often forbidden labor done on decaying bodies.

— Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
The idea that Watkins was an enabler of Gein’s murders and subsequent desecrations could be read merely as a part of the show’s aggressive and admitted mingling of fiction and reality.

— Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025

Definition of desecrations

Browse Nearby Words

ravagers

ravages

ravaging

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ravages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ravages. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ravages

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

southpaw

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes