1
as in to ruin
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 to ravage
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 to kill
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 destroy
Harrowing images showed rescue workers trying to evacuate people from a residential building that was partially destroyed and set ablaze in the barrage.
—
CBS News, 24 May 2026
Doors, furniture and the ground floor windows were destroyed in the melee.
—ABC News, 24 May 2026
During the conflict, US officials said that Iran’s longer-range ballistic missiles must be destroyed.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 24 May 2026
The day after this photo was taken, a Hindu-nationalist mob destroyed the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque, leading to a nationwide wave of riots that resulted in the murder of thousands of Indians, Muslim and Hindu.
—Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for destroy
CBS News, 24 May 2026
Doors, furniture and the ground floor windows were destroyed in the melee.
—ABC News, 24 May 2026
During the conflict, US officials said that Iran’s longer-range ballistic missiles must be destroyed.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 24 May 2026
The day after this photo was taken, a Hindu-nationalist mob destroyed the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque, leading to a nationwide wave of riots that resulted in the murder of thousands of Indians, Muslim and Hindu.
—Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroy
Verb
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But at the same time, film has always been a labor of love, and cutting too many corners could ruin the art form entirely.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
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According to the researchers, even small variations can weaken the final structure or ruin an entire print.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
22 May 2026
Verb
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In the penultimate episode, a fire at the Pineville Dam spiraled out of control, ravaging the infrastructure and causing the dam to break.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
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After the flood When floods ravaged the Asheville area, the neighborhood went three weeks without electricity and six weeks without running water.—
Jessica Blough,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Verb
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In recent months security forces have killed a string of top Maoists and the rank-and-file are laying down their weapons.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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At the same time that the GKN situation was unraveling, the rupture of a chemical tank containing a different chemical mixture killed 11 people at a paper mill in Washington state.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Two other properties were purchased in 2024, one of which was a barbershop that was demolished, and a third property was purchased in 2025.—
Delia Rose Sauer,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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Before filing plans to demolish the building within the next two weeks, Kennedy planned Thursday night’s event to honor the structure.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Horvath faced issues in her district that includes county areas devastated by the Palisades fire.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
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The war is devastating the influence and image of Russian President Vladimir Putin.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Their hateful and inflammatory remarks about slain CEO Brian Thompson sparked a debate over how city press passes are granted.—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
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The two children the fugitive father spirited away to Mexico after Bravo’s slaying nearly two years ago are safe in Sacramento County with their maternal grandmother, said Sacramento and federal authorities at a news conference Tuesday in downtown Sacramento.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Twice, Liverpool shattered their transfer record last summer with the £100million purchase of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, potentially rising to £116m with add-ons, followed by the £125m deal for Alexander Isak from Newcastle United after an acrimonious summer-long saga.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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This Avs team once felt inevitable, but the past week shattered that.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Junk yards and auto wrecking services will soon be paying $354 instead of $273 for their new license, and secondhand dealers will see reduced fees — paying $354 instead of $480.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroy. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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