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
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2
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
technology used for destructive ends
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destructive
As Southern California nears the heart of wildfire season, rebuilding is merely inching forward in areas hit by the most destructive conflagrations in Los Angeles history.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Asheville was one of several western North Carolina towns ravaged by the destructive force of Hurricane Helene, which damaged structures and upended lives in September 2024.
—Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 26 Sep. 2025
Such was the case during Hurricane Irene, a tropical storm anticipated to be so destructive that the New York City mayor closed all businesses and transportation for the entirety of that sweaty August weekend.
—Irene Yoo
september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
At its Himalayan Botanical Garden, plants such as gentian are domesticated for research and cosmetics applications, reducing destructive wild harvesting while supporting biodiversity.
—Li Jun, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Asheville was one of several western North Carolina towns ravaged by the destructive force of Hurricane Helene, which damaged structures and upended lives in September 2024.
—Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 26 Sep. 2025
Such was the case during Hurricane Irene, a tropical storm anticipated to be so destructive that the New York City mayor closed all businesses and transportation for the entirety of that sweaty August weekend.
—Irene Yoo
september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
At its Himalayan Botanical Garden, plants such as gentian are domesticated for research and cosmetics applications, reducing destructive wild harvesting while supporting biodiversity.
—Li Jun, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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Unfortunately for the Giants, this win was marred by a devastating injury for superstar second-year wide receiver Malik Nabers.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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Lariosaurus valceresii was a small aquatic reptile that appeared shortly after the devastating Permian mass extinction 252 million years ago.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Moulton’s Senate primary rationale, stated or otherwise, rests on the enduring public image of former President Joe Biden, who withdrew from his 2024 reelection bid after a disastrous debate against Trump revealed limitations of being in office at age 82 and beyond.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
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No one has been sent home or saved because of a disastrous technical.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The crossover came amid recent turmoil, including Colbert’s show being canceled by in July and Kimmel's temporary suspension by ABC in September following controversial comments about the fatal shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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And one expert has suggested that steel or concrete barriers can also help guard against deadly attacks like the one in Grand Blanc Township, as well as unintentional fatal wrecks and may even help businesses stave off plaintiff lawsuits.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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All the rest are likely to shine in movies by good directors, and most actors whose reputations aren’t illustriously artistic have mainly been unfortunate in their collaborations.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
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Irish butter may now an internationally marketable commodity, but in Swift’s day, the Irish peasantry fought back against their replacement by cattle by maiming and driving the unfortunate cattle off cliffs.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The floods will return – and some will be catastrophic.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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The law defines catastrophic risk narrowly as incidents potentially causing 50+ deaths or $1 billion in damage through weapons assistance, autonomous criminal acts, or loss of control.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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