destroyed; destroying; destroys
1
: to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of : damage beyond repair
destroyed the files
Their reputation was destroyed.
A disease that destroys the body's ability to fight off illness.
2
a
: to put out of existence : kill
destroy an injured horse
b
: neutralize
the moon destroys the light of the stars
c
: annihilate, vanquish
… marines have been trained to close with and destroy the enemy. That's what we do.—
Stephen W. Larose
Stephen W. Larose
d
informal
: to defeat soundly
destroyed the other team 10-1
: to cause ruin or destruction
It is proverbially easier to destroy than to construct …—T. S. Eliot
T. S. EliotExamples of destroy in a Sentence
Eventually our problems with money destroyed our marriage.
All the files were deliberately destroyed.
The disease destroys the body's ability to fight off illness.
The bomb blast destroyed the village.
The dog had to be destroyed since its owner could not prevent it from attacking people.
Recent Examples on the Web
It was blamed for igniting the Coal Seam Fire which burned more than 10,000 acres and destroyed 28 homes in 2002.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
The troop carrier planes became bogged down in the soil and had to be destroyed by the US to avoid them falling into enemy hands, while new planes were flown in.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 11 Apr. 2026
Home remedies also are not absorbed and translocated throughout the plant to kill the roots, so these methods may damage the foliage but don’t destroy the roots.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
Machado was placed on administrative leave following the violent July 1 explosion, which was felt by residents up to 20 miles away, destroyed a family farm and sparked a 78-acre grass fire.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destroy
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.
Logan Smith, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
The troop carrier planes became bogged down in the soil and had to be destroyed by the US to avoid them falling into enemy hands, while new planes were flown in.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 11 Apr. 2026
Home remedies also are not absorbed and translocated throughout the plant to kill the roots, so these methods may damage the foliage but don’t destroy the roots.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
Machado was placed on administrative leave following the violent July 1 explosion, which was felt by residents up to 20 miles away, destroyed a family farm and sparked a 78-acre grass fire.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroy. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
