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
Two months after historic floods swept through the Milwaukee area, new data shows that nearly 2,200 homes throughout Milwaukee County sustained major damage or were destroyed.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Police in Florida are searching for two men caught on camera destroying a mall store while stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise.
—Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Her relatives were considering a plan to take on debt to stay open this winter, a proposition that worried her because, with Grand Canyon Lodge and other park visitor services destroyed, there is no guarantee of what next year’s traffic will look like.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Four of the victims in the overnight attacks were family members killed when their residential building in the western region of Lviv bordering Poland was destroyed, local prosecutors said.
—CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
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Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Police in Florida are searching for two men caught on camera destroying a mall store while stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise.
—Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Her relatives were considering a plan to take on debt to stay open this winter, a proposition that worried her because, with Grand Canyon Lodge and other park visitor services destroyed, there is no guarantee of what next year’s traffic will look like.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Four of the victims in the overnight attacks were family members killed when their residential building in the western region of Lviv bordering Poland was destroyed, local prosecutors said.
—CNN Money, 5 Oct. 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 7 Oct. 2025.
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