lay to waste

Related to lay to waste: laid waste

lay (something) to waste

To destroy or ruin something completely or utterly. The fire laid an entire block of houses to waste in a matter of hours. The plundering army assembled and made ready to lay the kingdom to waste.
See also: lay, waste
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

lay something to waste

 and lay waste to something
Fig. to destroy something; to ruin or mess up something. The invaders laid the village to waste. The kids came in and laid waste to my clean house.
See also: lay, waste
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • lay (something) to waste
  • lay waste to (something)
  • lay waste to something
  • kill (something) stone dead
  • kill something stone dead
  • cut (something) to pieces
  • hilt
  • made from whole cloth
  • made out of whole cloth
  • out of whole cloth
References in periodicals archive
Lest we forget the gradual erosion of a caring welfare state under the present administration, where the blossoming cult of hypocrisy means the poor are forced to pay for the excesses of the rich who unashamedly re-ignite the class war and lay to waste a new generation, now deprived of a safety net on the blind expediency of political dogma.
Forgotten, the lessons of past [...]
It is truly thrilling to hear her lay to waste the dull imagination of endless indie boy bands with the rugged, loose-string amped axe and collapsing drums of Forget Lianne's natural, skipping sense of rhythm has the lightness of touch of Brazilian samba with lots of subtle jazz chordings in songs that respect listener intelligence.
FALLIN' IN LOVE AGAIN; CD OF THE WEEK
CHRIS McDonnell, a former Barnardo's boy, landed his first big win after 18 months as a professional yesterday - in a tournament which saw him lay to waste the other three winners of the 2008 regional majors.
McDonnell in glorious form; Hexham assistant takes on region's finest and wins