destructive
adjective
de·struc·tive
di-ˈstrək-tiv 
1
: causing destruction : ruinous
destructive storm
2
: designed or tending to hurt or destroy
destructive criticism
destructively
adverb
destructiveness
noun
Examples of destructive in a Sentence
It was one of the most destructive storms in recent memory.
She argued that the law was destructive of personal liberties.
The school is concerned about the destructive behavior of a few students.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ryan Yates, who had been a destructive figure in midfield, was subsequently withdrawn amid three attacking changes, which saw Callum Hudson-Odoi, Omari Hutchinson and Igor Jesus introduced, giving Forest more threat, but also allowing Newcastle more openings.
—
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
But the war has been hugely destructive for Gaza, with entire areas razed to the ground and thousands of people killed, while millions are displaced.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Others—such as an eagerness to engage someone in combat—work in the gym, ring, and battlefield but become counterproductive and even destructive outside of those contexts.
—Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
When the federal government reached an agreement with Alabama officials last October to address destructive flooding in the predominantly Black Shiloh community, residents thought their calls for help had finally been answered.
—Maia Rosenfeld, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
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Paul Taylor, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
But the war has been hugely destructive for Gaza, with entire areas razed to the ground and thousands of people killed, while millions are displaced.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Others—such as an eagerness to engage someone in combat—work in the gym, ring, and battlefield but become counterproductive and even destructive outside of those contexts.
—Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
When the federal government reached an agreement with Alabama officials last October to address destructive flooding in the predominantly Black Shiloh community, residents thought their calls for help had finally been answered.
—Maia Rosenfeld, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destructive. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
destructive
adjective
de·struc·tive
di-ˈstrək-tiv
1
: causing destruction : ruinous
a destructive storm
2
: designed or tending to hurt or destroy
destructive criticism
destructively
adverb
destructiveness
noun
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