destroyed; destroying; destroys
1
: to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of
destroyed the files
also
: to ruin as if by tearing to shreds
their reputation was destroyed
a disease that destroys the body's ability to fight off illness
… destroyed any hope of a return to past crackdowns … —
George Brock
George Brock 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
: 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
Some are value-destroying black holes; others are relentless value creators.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last week, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
Although Har Paw Villa was initially dreamed up in the 1930s, it was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt during the 1950s.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
Lapin and her family were among the more than 150,000 people throughout Los Angeles forced to evacuate their homes because of the blazes, which burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures.
—Meredith Wilshere, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
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Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last week, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
Although Har Paw Villa was initially dreamed up in the 1930s, it was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt during the 1950s.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
Lapin and her family were among the more than 150,000 people throughout Los Angeles forced to evacuate their homes because of the blazes, which burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures.
—Meredith Wilshere, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroy. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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