destroy
verb
, dē-\
Definition of destroy
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for destroy
Synonyms
annihilate, cream, decimate, demolish, desolate, devastate, do in, extinguish, nuke, pull down, pulverize, raze, rub out, ruin, shatter, smash, tear down, total, vaporize, waste, wrack, wreck
Antonyms
build, construct, erect, put up, raise, rear, set up
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of destroy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The traffickers should face criminal charges and receive jail time for their involvement in such schemes, and law enforcement officers should work to disrupt and destroy the criminal gangs that perform such trafficking. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Our favorite (and least favorite) tech of 2018," 26 Dec. 2018 And personal homes, purchased after years of saving and sacrifice, may become devalued or destroyed. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Climate change and the coming coastal real estate crash," 16 Oct. 2018 There's about 10 seconds of that towards the end, a ring of fire destroying everything in its path. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Battlefield V teases its battle royale mode, Deep Silver acquires TimeSplitters," 17 Aug. 2018 Barr, 34, died after a contractor hit a gas line under the streets of downtown Sun Prairie, prompting a massive explosion that injured 11 others and destroyed a number of buildings — including Barr's own tavern. — Max Bayer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mourners, including 700 uniformed officers, turn out to honor firefighter killed in blast," 14 July 2018 With power out and the cellphone network largely destroyed, FEMA was operating in the dark. — Arelis R. Hernandez And Joel Achenbach, chicagotribune.com, "Failure of imagination hindered federal response to hurricanes that devastated Puerto Rico," 14 July 2018 Type 1 diabetes, which typically is diagnosed in childhood, occurs when the immune system destroys the cells that produce insulin. — Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, Washington Post, "Retooled Vaccine Raises Hopes As A Lower-Cost Treatment For Type 1 Diabetes," 13 July 2018 Protectionism or tariffs — coerced restraints on trade — cripple, hobble and destroy the source of life and prosperity. — Phillip Molnar, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Can the U.S. economy withstand a trade war?," 13 July 2018 The gas line explosion, which authorities say was an accident, destroyed at least four buildings, leaving streets filled with debris. — Christopher Brito, CBS News, "J.J. Watt quietly donates $10K to fallen Wisconsin firefighter's family," 12 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'destroy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for destroy
destroy
verb
English Language Learners Definition of destroy
See the full definition for destroy in the English Language Learners Dictionary
destroy
verb
\
Kids Definition of destroy
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on destroy
What made you want to look up destroy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
What did you just call me?! A Quiz
-
- If a member of the audience describes your speech as bombastic, does that person mean it is:
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share destroy
Resources for destroy