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 But the plotting is so sludgy and lacking in strategic detail that the endless back and forth across the desert starts to play like a Monster Trucks-type demolition derby, only with freakier characters, more elaborate vehicles and extra carnage. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024 That fanbase was unaffected by Kendrick’s demolition derby and isn’t keen on Drake’s standing within The Culture. Angel Diaz, Billboard, 14 May 2024 Their solution was to send another front-end loader to chase it down, which resulted in a low-speed demolition derby. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024 Like a Humvee in a demolition derby of Fiats, the continents won't go down. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Several early episodes go by with hardly any time spent in a car, which seems to go against the whole point of adapting a demolition derby video game. Christian Holub, EW.com, 26 July 2023 This annual fair typically includes familiar fair fun plus crowd favorite activities including the demolition derby and livestock shows. Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 1 Jan. 2024 More than a year from the 2024, Republicans might take comfort in the reality that few voters are paying attention as of yet to the zany demolition derby on Capitol Hill and Trump’s legal plight might seem like old news, even as the indictments pile up. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 25 Sep. 2023 In the United States, some truck owners delight in modifying their rigs with oversized wheels, heavy-duty suspension kits and soot-spewing exhaust systems, turning them into the monster trucks that stalk organized events like demolition derbies and mud bogs. Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demolition derby.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of demolition derby was circa 1953

Dictionary Entries Near demolition derby

Cite this Entry

“Demolition derby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demolition%20derby. Accessed 21 May. 2024.

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