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'.
raze, mollify, rankle, juxtapose, commandeer: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 3 set 133. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
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'.