1
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
the destructive storm blew down trees all over town, and blew the roof off our neighbor's house
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
technology used for destructive ends
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destructive
Add to that, the critical fire risk caused by aging transmission lines, the cause of California's deadliest and most destructive fire that decimated the town of Paradise back in 2018.
—
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Balat and Kayumi, both US citizens, have been charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization; use of a weapon of mass destruction; transportation of explosive materials; unlawful possession of destructive devices; and interstate transportation and receipt of explosives.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
But the conditions now taking shape increasingly resemble those that in recent years have fueled some of the region's most destructive blazes.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
This pattern can lead to more intense and destructive fire seasons.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Balat and Kayumi, both US citizens, have been charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization; use of a weapon of mass destruction; transportation of explosive materials; unlawful possession of destructive devices; and interstate transportation and receipt of explosives.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
But the conditions now taking shape increasingly resemble those that in recent years have fueled some of the region's most destructive blazes.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
This pattern can lead to more intense and destructive fire seasons.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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Just days later, Duke suffered a devastating loss with a Final Four berth on the line.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Pentagon is reportedly preparing for weeks of ground operations inside Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal, including a potentially devastating and dangerous mission to excavate uranium from the country.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Duke appeared to be too much for the Huskies, who went more than five minutes without scoring during a disastrous first-half stretch to fall behind, 44-25.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
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And years later, when the group splintered into increasingly militant factions, some took part in a disastrous bank robbery that killed an innocent guard and two police officers—three men who were just doing their jobs that day, and who left behind their own kids, their own families.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That is the highest-level designation for severe accidents, placing it alongside the fatal Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003) shuttle disasters in terms of gravity.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
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The cause of that fatal accident remains under investigation.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That house has a history of unfortunate events, including the fate of Cookie, an errant heiress and her pooch.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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The start of 2026 has been a series of unfortunate events for Michelle Harris and her family.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The line between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah is more blurred than ever after the latter’s catastrophic performance in the 2023-2024 war with Israel.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
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The catastrophic 1969 offshore oil spill in Santa Barbara killed thousands of sea birds and marine mammals.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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