lay waste something formal
lay waste to something formal

I'll even lay waste to our own lands in the south and east to buy you time, if I must.

Still, the only region remaining under central government control was now laid waste.

"How come you're not up making another million and generally laying waste to the business world?"

Before we drew near, the whole area was laid waste.

All of England could be laid waste in a moment.

And a great wind which laid waste to the land about there.

"They could lay waste to half the planet from up there."

You've been in charge of a machine that could lay waste to anything!

There are others who prefer to lay waste with words.

What general in his right mind would lay waste to a place for generations?