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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destructive
Not heated arguments or screaming matches — which still involve a degree of communication — but rather consuming, destructive nothingness.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
These destructive pests can lay waste to an entire patch of squash in short order.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2025
But private − unregulated − forest management looks a lot different than managing forests to prevent destructive fires.
—Laura Dee, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2025
Waste and What to Do With It Fashion’s Flaws
Katrina Gulliver
April 11, 2025
Environmental historian Adam Rome considers the destructive history of fashion and style.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
These destructive pests can lay waste to an entire patch of squash in short order.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2025
But private − unregulated − forest management looks a lot different than managing forests to prevent destructive fires.
—Laura Dee, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2025
Waste and What to Do With It Fashion’s Flaws
Katrina Gulliver
April 11, 2025
Environmental historian Adam Rome considers the destructive history of fashion and style.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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Another factor is that federal cannabis reform has stalled in the U.S., which for Tilray and other Canadian operators has been devastating.—
Will Yakowicz,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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The impact of this could really be devastating, particularly in rural communities.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
Adjective
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Democrats have been grappling with their own version of that resolution, especially ever since the disastrous defeat of their party’s presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, in November.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2025
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Or, even more recently, the disastrous April 8 update to protect against the CVE-2025-21204 vulnerability that installed a mysterious folder, and got everyone’s collective conspiracy theory panties in a bunch.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In rare cases, salmonella can result in more serious illness and can be fatal in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
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The fatal accident happened Thursday night on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry's Lake State Park in eastern Idaho, located about 16 miles west of Yellowstone in Wyoming.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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After a half-decade of unfortunate injuries and the still-strange collapse in the bubble, Leonard at last looks like his two-time Finals MVP self.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
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Responding to the precariousness of our moment, museums have reified the problem with an unfortunate watchword: relevance.—
Eric Crosby,
Artforum,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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