Lay Waste To (Verb)
Meaning
Cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly; "The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The barbarian hordes lay waste to entire cities, leaving their inhabitants homeless and destitute.
- A massive fire lay waste to the factory, destroying equipment and inventory beyond repair.
- The invading army lay waste to the small village, burning its fields and crops.
- The powerful earthquake lay waste to several downtown blocks, reducing high-rise buildings to rubble.
- The disease lay waste to the entire population, killing nearly everyone who came into contact with it.