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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destroy
Deputies said Mitchell tried to destroy evidence after the incident.
—
Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 26 May 2025
Based on Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 May 2025
An embarrassing, humbling, shocking Game 5 defeat showed that.
All the same problems, the ones that destroyed Leaf team after Leaf team and ultimately ended Sheldon Keefe’s time as head coach, are emerging again at the worst possible time.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 15 May 2025
In order to retrieve the original source code of the Entity and destroy it, Hunt has to risk life and limb and dive into icy arctic waters to a sunken Soviet submarine teetering 500 feet underwater.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 26 May 2025
Based on Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 May 2025
An embarrassing, humbling, shocking Game 5 defeat showed that.
All the same problems, the ones that destroyed Leaf team after Leaf team and ultimately ended Sheldon Keefe’s time as head coach, are emerging again at the worst possible time.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 15 May 2025
In order to retrieve the original source code of the Entity and destroy it, Hunt has to risk life and limb and dive into icy arctic waters to a sunken Soviet submarine teetering 500 feet underwater.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroy
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
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But that stumble constitutes Hwang’s only confrontation with the hypocrisy that ruins Yellow Face and its inherent PBS conceit.—
Armond White,
National Review,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The council also scaled back the number of new hires the mayor proposed for the Los Angeles Fire Department in the wake of the wildfire that ravaged huge stretches of Pacific Palisades.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
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Numerous celebrities, including Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton and Milo Ventimiglia lost their homes in the ravaging blaze.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
Verb
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The forecast comes after several devastating hurricanes battered the U.S. last year, including Helene, which killed 241 people across five states in September.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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It has been killed by the near impossibility of buying a home in the current market and the economic challenges that force them to scramble to keep up with the cost of living and delay their plans to form their own families.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Facing greater competition and sensing more opportunity, the owners decided to close the hotel at the end of May and demolish the building next year.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2025
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Its current office building in the area would be demolished.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Sand, breeze blocks, storm shutters—these are materials of survival and exclusion, shaped by the hurricanes that regularly devastate her homeland.—
Nargess Banks,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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The Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions Friday in a big first step toward fulfilling the president’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country devastated by civil war.—
Abby Sewell,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog said early Thursday morning that the country remains united with the families of slain embassy staffers in Washington.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
22 May 2025
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Russo, a 24-year FDNY veteran, had been expecting to retire in a few months when she was slain.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
20 May 2025
Verb
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But the illusion of paradise is shattered when another guest is found dead and Gabriel becomes the prime suspect.—
Laura Thompson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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The event shattered the records for participation in a online chess game, passing the previous record of 70,000 set for the ‘Vishy vs. The World’ last year.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
21 May 2025
Verb
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His cabin was a few miles south of the one the bear wrecked for for me, closer to the fringe of settlement.—
Ted Updike,
Outdoor Life,
22 May 2025
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Soon, the film studio’s fortunes turned with films like Die Hard – the explanation that producers Joel Silver and Larry Gordon gave in getting permission to use the Fox headquarters for Nakatomi Plaza for one night, only to stay weeks and wreck the place – is hilarious.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroy. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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