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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
wildfires destroyed thousands of acres in forests across the state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to kill
to deprive of life
regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Amid their fighting, the pair knock over a large fuel tank, and Kreese later takes his cigar and throws it into the fuel, setting off an explosion that destroys the boat and presumably kills them both.
—
Arabella Hau, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Saturday’s operation came after days of gang attacks that have destroyed more than three dozen schools just this year, and forced another mass exodus of people from neighborhoods in the capital.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
Many other belongings from his tomb are believed to have been relocated due to the flooding that destroyed it.
—Francesca Aton For Artnews, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2025
Baldoni countersued, accusing Lively, Reynolds and Sloane of seeking to destroy his career.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Arabella Hau, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Saturday’s operation came after days of gang attacks that have destroyed more than three dozen schools just this year, and forced another mass exodus of people from neighborhoods in the capital.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
Many other belongings from his tomb are believed to have been relocated due to the flooding that destroyed it.
—Francesca Aton For Artnews, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2025
Baldoni countersued, accusing Lively, Reynolds and Sloane of seeking to destroy his career.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroy
Verb
-
Sometimes, one bad person or a few bad people can ruin things for everybody.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
-
The floods were also a disaster for businesses that lost valuable stock, like a local bookstore which saw $25,000 worth of books ruined, the BBC reported.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
How Helene devastated western North Carolina and left communities in ruins The storm ravaged the terrain alongside I-40, eroding 3 million cubic yards of earth and rock from the mountainside, leaving behind a scarred landscape and a daunting reconstruction challenge.—
Artemis Moshtaghian,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Philadelphia Eagles: The Super Bowl champions will likely be ravaged by free agency, losing a number of their key players such as defensive lineman Josh Sweat, linebacker Zack Baun and defensive lineman Milton Williams, who will likely cash in on last season’s success.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
After asking the village to remove the Christmas lights in honor of the more than 46,000 Palestinians killed in the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas, the village instead offered to install lights for Ramadan, Nawab said.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2025
-
In recent years, the state has passed several amendments giving more leeway to killing black bears out of self-defense.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Many have long since been demolished or altered beyond recognition, but some of the most beautiful have miraculously kept their original structures and decoration intact.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Some residential buildings have been demolished; a hole is punched into the side of a mosque; chunks of broken concrete now bare the inside of someone’s home to the outside world.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Without an effective treatment, the disease could devastate her harvest, leaving her unable to repay her loans or provide for her family.—
Daphne Ewing-Chow,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
-
On Hollywood's biggest night, Colman Domingo led a tequila toast to the resilience of Los Angeles in the wake of the wildfires that devastated the city.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Cal Fire captain begged for mercy during slaying captured on video, officials say.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Some were slain by their captors and some were killed in Israel's offenses.—
Reuters,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
As the two vehicles collided, there was a loud boom; their windshields shattered, and the scene was engulfed in smoke.—
Stephania Taladrid,
The New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Recent events have shattered her image as a role model—a persona that has long been disputed by some of her co-stars.—
Louis Staples,
Rolling Stone,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
With Austin Cindric and Erik Jones locked in a side-by-side battle to decide a Daytona 500 qualifying race less than 100 yards from the finish line, cars wrecked behind them and NASCAR immediately hit the caution button.—
Jeff Gluck,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
-
As with other official statements over the previous two days, Webster said the cause is still under investigation and offered no reasons why the plane could have wrecked.—
Bill Lukitsch The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS),
arkansasonline.com,
21 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to destroy
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroy. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share