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
Animal welfare groups and shelters say that cameras can help owners spot signs of stress, boredom or destructive behavior early, particularly in indoor cats or those adjusting to a new home.
—
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Heifler was charged with federal counts of unlawful possession and making of destructive devices.
—Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
This simpler and less complex design could still produce a genuine nuclear explosion, comparable in destructive power to early weapons.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
To emphasize that new technology can’t change bad behavior, Josh mirrors many of the same demeaning and destructive traits of showrunner Paulie G (Lance Barber), the antagonist of Seasons One and Two.
—Jennifer Silverman, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Heifler was charged with federal counts of unlawful possession and making of destructive devices.
—Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
This simpler and less complex design could still produce a genuine nuclear explosion, comparable in destructive power to early weapons.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
To emphasize that new technology can’t change bad behavior, Josh mirrors many of the same demeaning and destructive traits of showrunner Paulie G (Lance Barber), the antagonist of Seasons One and Two.
—Jennifer Silverman, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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Surely, every generation faces this devastating crossroads of actual adulthood.—
Annah Feinberg,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The loss dealt a devastating blow to Seattle’s bid for a playoff spot, costing the club an opportunity to close the gap in the Western Conference wild-card race.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Trailing by three after a disastrous first period, the Sharks got goals from Nick Leddy and Macklin Celebrini in the second period, and a nifty third-period goal from Alex Wennberg to tie the game and bring the capacity crowd at SAP Center to life.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The regular sight of US citizens paraded in Iran was disastrous for former President Jimmy Carter.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But, really, this did feel like a night when those play-off hopes were dealt a potentially fatal blow.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease causing fever, respiratory symptoms and a characteristic rash and can sometimes have severe or fatal complications, especially in young children, according to WHO.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Russian ambassador to Libya hung out in my room, as did a Russian kid named Konstantin with an unfortunate stutter and endearing affection for the American rock band Metallica.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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The film is a Hulu release, continuing the rather unfortunate trend of comedy no longer being the box office powerhouse it once was.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Much like with the newspaper industry, the internet has had a similar impact on radio stations, just not quite as catastrophic.—
Mac Engel
April 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
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Most notably — and most devastatingly — Woods was involved in a one-car rollover crash in Los Angeles in February 2021, which left him with catastrophic leg injuries.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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