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
With California facing increasingly destructive wildfires, experts and officials have long urged the strategic removal of dense, flammable vegetation that can erupt into particularly destructive flames from a lightning bolt or the spark of a power line.
—
Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Golden mussels increase concerns The rapid spread of destructive golden mussels in California has created new urgency and demonstrates why some restrictive rules have been adopted, Dinah Voyles Pulver reports.
—Kristin Scharkey, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 29 May 2026
This destructive process caused an influx of lithium into their atmospheres.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
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Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Golden mussels increase concerns The rapid spread of destructive golden mussels in California has created new urgency and demonstrates why some restrictive rules have been adopted, Dinah Voyles Pulver reports.
—Kristin Scharkey, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 29 May 2026
This destructive process caused an influx of lithium into their atmospheres.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destructive. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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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