1
as in ruining
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
they practically destroyed the safe in order to get at the money inside their poor scores on the final exam destroyed any chance they might have had to pass the course
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ravaging
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
wildfires destroyed thousands of acres in forests across the state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
to deprive of life
regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destroying
By the 1960s, gas flares and untreated waste spillage were destroying their forests.
—
Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
And there is a risk of the parasites becoming dormant for years before reactivating and destroying a new cornea.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The Palisades fire burned for 24 days, destroying more than 6,800 structures, damaging countless others and forcing most of the neighborhood’s residents to move elsewhere.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Quarterback Dante Moore and the Ducks' defense took down Texas Tech 23-0 after destroying James Madison in the first round.
—American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
This administration has been very good at destroying things within and outside the United States.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Electric vehicles and heat pumps deliver superior performance and comfort without health- and climate-destroying pollution and use only a fraction of the energy of their fossil-fuel counterparts.
—Anshul Gupta, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
After the killings, Preciado's parents, Ramon Preciado and his wife Myrta Romanos were charged with multiple counts of altering, destroying or concealing human remains, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence.
—Gabriella Ybarra, San Antonio Express-News, 7 Jan. 2026
And candidates who stoked fear in voters — with the threat of towering multi-family complexes destroying their communities or costly local infrastructure projects driving up taxes — lost by clear margins.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
And there is a risk of the parasites becoming dormant for years before reactivating and destroying a new cornea.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026
The Palisades fire burned for 24 days, destroying more than 6,800 structures, damaging countless others and forcing most of the neighborhood’s residents to move elsewhere.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Quarterback Dante Moore and the Ducks' defense took down Texas Tech 23-0 after destroying James Madison in the first round.
—American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
This administration has been very good at destroying things within and outside the United States.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Electric vehicles and heat pumps deliver superior performance and comfort without health- and climate-destroying pollution and use only a fraction of the energy of their fossil-fuel counterparts.
—Anshul Gupta, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
After the killings, Preciado's parents, Ramon Preciado and his wife Myrta Romanos were charged with multiple counts of altering, destroying or concealing human remains, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence.
—Gabriella Ybarra, San Antonio Express-News, 7 Jan. 2026
And candidates who stoked fear in voters — with the threat of towering multi-family complexes destroying their communities or costly local infrastructure projects driving up taxes — lost by clear margins.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroying
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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The video then shows the man asking if the situation was ruining Kaleel's Christmas.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Of course, this being 1985, the rapidly escalating AIDS epidemic was already ravaging gay communities worldwide.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Dec. 2025
-
The program centers in part on combating the spread of the European green crab, an invasive species that is ravaging local ecosystems.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The charges relate to his killing Scott Wonoski, 43, a fellow inmate at the Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater, in 2021.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
10 Jan. 2026
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Those on the right, determined to make the case that this was an officer killing in self-defense, should instead be beginning with this utter failure to protect the life of a civilian protester and de-escalate the situation through some means other than shooting a fellow American in the head.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The one that is responsible, once and for all, for fixing a defense that’s been complicit in wrecking three straight seasons of Burrow, Chase and Higgins.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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And can interest be reduced without wrecking your financial future?—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Scenario two is that Harbaugh is leveraging the Giants’ rabid interest but ultimately could take a different job, devastating this desperate fan base.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Rubella, also called German measles, is mild in children but devastating to fetuses, causing deafness, heart defects and intellectual disabilities when pregnant women are infected.—
Jake Scott,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Reeves is currently on Broadway with his Bill & Ted co-star Alex Winter, slaying in Waiting for Godot at the Hudson Theatre.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
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Unfortunately, the serial killer known as John Doe is ritualistically slaying victims by turning the seven deadly sins into symbolic, atrocious murders.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The move came after the Office of County Administration released December cost estimates for demolishing the building and renovating it.—
John Lomax V,
Houston Chronicle,
7 Jan. 2026
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Fully reopening Leetsdale Drive is contingent on demolishing parts of the charred apartment complex that are still standing, Murphy said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Yet for all of Malinin’s athleticism and his Beamonesque ability to take flight what has been most telling in what has already been a world record-shattering Olympic season has been the maturity of his skating, the willingness to take emotional risks in his programs.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
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Bana and Rocha were among the 615 participants in the 27th annual Waukegan Polar Bear Plunge on Thursday at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, shattering the record of 540 set in 2024, and collectively raising more than $20,000 for Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destroying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroying. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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