destroyer

noun

de·stroy·er | \ di-ˈstrȯi(-ə)r

, dē-\

Definition of destroyer

1 : one that destroys

2 : a small fast warship used especially to support larger vessels and usually armed with guns, depth charges, torpedoes, and often guided missiles

Examples of destroyer in a Sentence

The pamphlet describes alcohol as a destroyer of families.

Recent Examples on the Web

Today, five of the Navy’s Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers and 33 Arleigh Burke–class guided missile destroyers are capable of detecting and shooting down ballistic missiles with SM-3 Block IIA interceptors. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "'Star Wars' Lite? We Explain Trump's Missile Defense Strategy," 17 Jan. 2019 The legacy of a Korean War hero from Massachusetts will live on when the Navy commissions a destroyer ship named for him this winter, officials said Tuesday. — Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, "Ship named after Korean War hero Thomas Hudner will be commissioned in Boston," 13 June 2018 Images on the website detail damage to the carrier’s hull, which may have been from the guns of the destroyers Mustin and Anderson. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Explorers Discover the Wreck of the Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet, Sunk in World War II," 12 Feb. 2019 In response, a Chinese Luyang class destroyer sailed to confront the Decatur. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "U.S. and Chinese Destroyers Involved in 'Unsafe' Encounter at Sea," 2 Oct. 2018 The heart of today’s U.S. Navy’s surface ship firepower, which lives on destroyers and cruisers, is the armored missile silo. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Should the U.S. Navy Turn Merchant Ships into Floating Missile Magazines?," 10 Jan. 2019 Wargaming officials said submersibles will be added as the permanent 5th class of vessels alongside World War II-era battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and aircraft carriers. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "World of Warships dives deep for new players, adding submarines to popular naval combat game," 18 Sep. 2018 The USS Johnson is the third and final destroyer of the Zumwalt class that includes sister ships USS Zumwalt and USS Monsoor. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "As the Final Zumwalt-Class Stealth Destroyer Launches, the Ships’ Fate Remains Unclear," 11 Dec. 2018 Japan has four flat-top destroyers that can carry helicopters. — Alastair Gale, WSJ, "Japan Unveils Plan for First Aircraft Carrier Since World War II," 11 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'destroyer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.