From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpulverizepul‧ver‧ize (also pulverise British English) /ˈpʌlvəraɪz/ verb [transitive] 1 SQUASHto crush something into a powder The seeds can be used whole or pulverized into flour.Grammar Pulverize is usually passive in this meaning.2 informalBEAT/DEFEAT to completely defeat someone Stewart completely pulverized the opposition. —pulverized adjective pulverized coal —pulverization /ˌpʌlvəraɪˈzeɪʃən $ -rə-/ noun [uncountable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
pulverize• He has just been pulverized by a being from the other side of the galaxy and what does he do?• A towering red mist hung over them where the brick of the villages was pulverized by the bombardment.• He sued her even before she pulverized him in print.• The country, not surprisingly, preferred to wait to be persuaded rather than get pulverized in a partisan putsch.• Gladstone had recommended chewing each bite thirty-two times, so Fletcher chewed every mouthful of food until it was pulverized into liquid.• Destroy the skeleton, pulverize the bones.Origin pulverize (1400-1500) French pulvériser, from Late Latin pulverizare, from Latin pulvis “dust, powder” 