Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense bulldozes, present participle bulldozing, past tense, past participle bulldozed
1. verb
If people bulldoze something such as a building, they knock it down using a bulldozer.
She defeated developers who wanted to bulldoze her home to build a supermarket. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: demolish, level, destroy, flatten More Synonyms of bulldoze
2. verb
If people bulldoze earth, stone, or other heavy material, they move it using a bulldozer.
He bulldozed 450 acres of woodland for his vineyard. [VERB noun]
3. verb
If someone bulldozes a plan through or bulldozes another person into doing something, they get what they want in an unpleasantly forceful way.
[disapproval]
The party in power planned to bulldoze through a full socialist programme. [V n with through]
The coalition bulldozed the resolution through the plenary session. [V n + through]
My parents tried to bulldoze me into going to college. [VERB noun + into]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: force, bully, intimidate, railroad [informal] More Synonyms of bulldoze
More Synonyms of bulldoze
bulldoze in British English
(ˈbʊlˌdəʊz)
verb(transitive)
1.
to move, demolish, flatten, etc, with a bulldozer
2. informal
to force; push
he bulldozed his way through the crowd
3. informal
to intimidate or coerce
Word origin
C19: probably from bull1 + dose
bulldoze in American English
(ˈbʊlˌdoʊz)
US
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈbullˌdozed or ˈbullˌdozing
1. Informal
to force or frighten by threatening; intimidate; bully
2.
to move, make level, dig out, etc. with a bulldozer
Word origin
< n. bulldose, a severe beating < bull (Botany Bay slang), a flogging of 75 lashes + dose
Examples of 'bulldoze' in a sentence
bulldoze
The tranquillity of countless thousands of people will be harmed, homes will be bulldozed and air quality degraded.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The couple were given two hours to clear out their belongings before their home was bulldozed.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Fans originally feared the properties would be bulldozed to make way for new builds.
The Sun (2009)
Walls and parts of royal buildings were bulldozed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Both the residential block and the school buildings should be bulldozed.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Hundreds of homes will be bulldozed.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Up to 3,500 houses could be bulldozed in all.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
What happened was that buildings were bulldozed, neighbourhoods torn apart and families trapped in abandoned streets.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
While homes are being bulldozed for lack of occupants in the northwest, comparable properties in the south sell for a fortune.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Now the council flat he was given in compensation is also to be bulldozed, to make way for a new national stadium.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Others said that they were given minimal compensation before their homes were bulldozed, leaving them with little hope of buying a suitable replacement.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Afterwards, the family's home was bulldozed.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
A third bought a property beside a main road, only to discover that the road could be widened and the house bulldozed.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
HUNDREDS of British expats face having their dream homes bulldozed in Spain.
The Sun (2011)
A total of 1,500 homes would be bulldozed along with 30 listed buildings.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
bulldoze
British English: bulldoze VERB
If people bulldoze something such as a building, they knock it down using a bulldozer.
She defeated developers who wanted to bulldoze her home to build a supermarket.
American English: bulldoze
Brazilian Portuguese: demolir
Chinese: > 推倒用推土机
European Spanish: demoler
French: passer au bulldozer
German: mit Bulldozern abreißen
Italian: distruggere con bulldozer
Japanese: ブルドーザーで解体する
Korean: 불도저로 밀다
European Portuguese: demolir
Latin American Spanish: demoler
1 (verb)
Definition
to move, demolish, or flatten with a bulldozer
She defeated developers who wanted to bulldoze her home.
Synonyms
demolish
The building is being demolished to make way for a motorway.
level
Further tremors could level yet more buildings.
destroy
The building was completely destroyed.
flatten
Bombing raids flattened much of the area.
knock down
tear down
raze
Dozens of villages have been razed.
kennet (Australian, slang)
jeff (Australian, slang)
2 (verb)
(informal)
He bulldozed through the Tigers' defence.
Synonyms
push
They pushed him into the car.
force
The extra weight of the crash helmet forced my head backwards.
drive
I used the sledgehammer to drive the pegs in.
thrust
They thrust him into the back of a jeep.
shove
He shoved her out of the way.
propel
The rocket is designed to propel the spacecraft.
3 (verb)
Definition
to coerce (someone) into doing something by intimidation
(informal)
My business partner tried to bulldoze into leaving the company.
Synonyms
force
They forced him to work round-the-clock.
bully
She used to bully me into doing my schoolwork.
intimidate
Attempts to intimidate people into voting for them failed.
railroad (informal)
cow
They were not cowed by physical intimidation.
hector
I suppose you'll hector me until I phone him.
coerce
He argued that the government had coerced him into resigning.