Last night, rabbits laid waste to the lettuce I was going to pick today.The army laid waste to the countryside as it moved south.
(redirected from lay waste to)
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.
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.