1
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of they practically destroyed the safe in order to get at the money inside their poor scores on the final exam destroyed any chance they might have had to pass the course

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of destroy When the Silver Surfer arrives in New York to destroy the final teleportation tower, Johnny plays those traumatic recordings over speakers in Earth-828's version of Times Square, hoping to appeal to her empathy. EW.com, 25 July 2025 Each subsequent move command executed by the AI model overwrote the previous file, ultimately destroying the data. ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025 The lawsuit alleges that Merit Street’s business partner, Trinity Broadcasting of Fort Worth, destroyed its television network and forced the bankruptcy declaration. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2025 Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim wildfire: National Park Service says only hotel destroyed The Grand Canyon Lodge was the park's only hotel, according the National Park Service, with the next nearest lodgings roughly 18 miles away. John Tufts, IndyStar, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for destroy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroy
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Freezing her eggs was a priority because chemotherapy could ruin her chances of fertility and natural birth.
    David Oliver, USA Today, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • Photograph by Matt Ramey / Redux Chased by Climate Disaster in North Carolina Just days after floods ravaged Texas, Tropical Storm Chantal dumped ten inches of rain on parts of central North Carolina, closing hundreds of roads and killing several people.
    Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 15 July 2025
  • Heavy rains over the July 4 holiday ravaged the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, killing 132 people.
    TJ Macias July 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • The man accused of pulling the trigger in a Christmas Day shooting that killed two Milwaukee teenagers is no longer on the run.
    Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • The push for tools to address overdoses has taken on more urgency as deaths from synthetic opioids have skyrocketed in Texas and across the U.S. Fentanyl was identified as the likely cause of a surge of 79 overdoses in Austin last spring, which killed nine people.
    Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • The kids division, ages 5 to 11, was tasked with demolishing a singular slice, or one-fourth, of an entire pie.
    Olivia Cyrus July 23, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2025
  • That includes plans to demolish the building this summer.
    Tom Daykin, jsonline.com, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • Not only has its air defense infrastructure suffered badly in the confrontations with Israel, but its regional proxies and allies – Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria – have either been devastated by Israel or collapsed altogether.
    Linggong Kong, The Conversation, 22 July 2025
  • Today, disaster seekers pack tours through New Orleans neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina two decades ago, and visitors continue to flock to Galveston to see the legacy of a hurricane that killed thousands more than a century earlier.
    Lila Hempel-Edgers July 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • Sarah Michelle Gellar is preparing to slay a new generation of supernatural evil creatures.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2025
  • Utica Queen — also known as fashion designer Ethan Mundt — has officially slayed the two most esteemed runways on mainstream television.
    EW.com, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Keenan’s only injuries were from the car’s shattered glass, but Denaro was shot five times and needed a metal plate to replace a part of his skull, which was shattered by the bullets.
    Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 2 Aug. 2025
  • That sense of serenity was shattered Monday when a man stormed the Midtown building with an assault rifle and unleashed a hailstorm of bullets, killing three people in the lobby.
    Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Some drugs, particularly antibiotics, can wreck the gut microbiome fast.
    Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2025
  • The New York Post reported that teams were reaching out to the Mets about Blackburn in June, before a spate of injuries temporarily wrecked New York’s starting depth.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroy. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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