destroy

verb de·stroy \ di-ˈstrȯi , dē- \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Examples: destroy in a Sentence

Definition of destroy

transitive verb

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

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

armies had been crippled but not destroyed
—W. L. Shirer

intransitive verb

: to cause ruin or destruction

it is proverbially easier to destroy than to construct
—T. S. Eliot

See destroy defined for English-language learners

See destroy defined for kids

Examples 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 of destroy from the Web

On a mission to destroy the fabric of liberal society, sure, but nonetheless equals.

— refinery29.com, "The Handmaid's Tale Season 2, Episode 8 Recap: "I Only Wanna Be With You"," 6 June 2018
In addition, the mother had just bought a few of the children new beds and some clothes, and those items appeared to be destroyed in the fire.

— taylor palmby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Seven children and one adult from Somali family displaced after a Milwaukee house fire," 5 June 2018
If an asteroid was going to destroy our planet, now would be the time to just get it over with.

— matt simon, WIRED, "Can a New Kind of Consumerism Help Fight Climate Change?," 4 June 2018
Instead, the Israelis acted to destroy the reactor.

— david e. sanger, New York Times, "Trump Greets Plans for North Korea-Syria Meeting With Deafening Silence," 4 June 2018
Sheriff’s deputies, with help from the California National Guard, physically pulled the plants from the ground and took them to be destroyed.

— sophie haigney, San Francisco Chronicle, "34,000 pounds of opium poppies seized in Monterey County," 3 June 2018
In the 1960s and early 1970s, the United States sprayed over 12 million gallons of the herbicide in Vietnam to destroy enemy cover in a program code named Operation Ranch Hand.

— bill lambrecht, San Antonio Express-News, "Congress considering benefits for Navy vets with Agent Orange exposure," 2 June 2018
But South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met with Kim last weekend, insists that Kim is willing to destroy his nuclear program.

— alex ward, Vox, "Trump’s big summit with Kim Jong Un is officially back on," 1 June 2018
Their host did their best to destroy the invaders, but the bacteria evolved defenses.

— carl zimmer, STAT, "Shot through with microbes: How our bodies adapt to a hidden world of bacteria," 30 May 2018

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of destroy

Middle English, from Anglo-French destroy-, destrui-, stem of destrure, from Vulgar Latin *destrugere, alteration of Latin destruere, from de- + struere to build — more at structure

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First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

destroy Synonyms

DESTROY Defined for English Language Learners

destroy

verb

Definition of destroy for English Language Learners

: to cause (something) to end or no longer exist : to cause the destruction of (something) : to damage (something) so badly that it cannot be repaired
: to kill (an animal) especially because it is sick, injured, or dangerous
: to defeat (someone or something) easily or completely