to completely destroy or demolish a building or area
example
The city council decided to raze the abandoned warehouse to make space for a new park.
synonyms
demolishdestroyobliterate
word origin — The word 'raze' comes from Middle English 'rasen', derived from the Old French 'raser', which itself comes from the Latin 'radere', meaning 'to scrape' or 'to shave'.
SAT Vocabulary Level 3 — Set 133
Set 133 of SAT Vocabulary Level 3 covers 5 words: raze, mollify, rankle, juxtapose, commandeer. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
raze · verb/reɪz/
to completely destroy or demolish a building or area
The city council decided to raze the abandoned warehouse to make space for a new park.
Synonyms: demolish, destroy, obliterate
Origin: The word 'raze' comes from Middle English 'rasen', derived from the Old French 'raser', which itself comes from the Latin 'radere', meaning 'to scrape' or 'to shave'.
mollify · verb/ˈmɑːləˌfaɪ/
to reduce the severity or intensity of something, to appease or calm someone
The manager tried to mollify the angry customer by offering a full refund.
Synonyms: alleviate, pacify, appease
Origin: From Latin 'mollificare', where 'mollis' means 'soft' and 'facere' means 'to make'.
rankle · verb/ˈræŋ.kəl/
to cause persistent irritation or resentment
Her refusal to acknowledge my contributions began to rankle, creating tension in our otherwise collaborative environment.
Synonyms: irritate, annoy, vex
Origin: Middle English 'ranclen' meaning 'to fester' or 'to sting', from the Old French 'rancler', which is possibly of Celtic origin.
juxtapose · verb/dʒʌkstəˌpoʊz/
to place or deal with close together for contrasting effect
The artist decided to juxtapose vibrant colors with muted tones to highlight the emotional contrasts in her painting.
Synonyms: compare, contrast, position
Origin: The word 'juxtapose' comes from the Latin 'juxta', meaning 'next' or 'near', and 'pose', from the Latin 'ponere', meaning 'to place'.
commandeer · verb/ˌkɑː.mənˈdɪr/
to take control of something, especially for military or official use
The military had to commandeer several civilian vehicles to evacuate the area quickly during the emergency.
Synonyms: take over, seize, appropriate
Origin: The word 'commandeer' comes from the French 'commander', meaning 'to order', which is derived from Latin 'commandare'.