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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to kill
to deprive of life
regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destroy
Robelis Despaigne destroyed Junior dos Santos to open the main card, Mike Perry battered Nate Diaz into a doctor's stoppage in the co-main, and the one legacy name who delivered violence was Francis Ngannou with his highlight-reel KO of Philipe Lins.
—
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Russian authorities said air defenses destroyed around 80 drones headed to Moscow and downed more than 1,000 over the country in the past 24 hours.
—Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 17 May 2026
The centrifuges are very sensitive, they're also mostly destroyed.
—CBS News, 17 May 2026
Russian air defenses destroyed a total of 556 drones over Russia, the country’s defense ministry said.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Russian authorities said air defenses destroyed around 80 drones headed to Moscow and downed more than 1,000 over the country in the past 24 hours.
—Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 17 May 2026
The centrifuges are very sensitive, they're also mostly destroyed.
—CBS News, 17 May 2026
Russian air defenses destroyed a total of 556 drones over Russia, the country’s defense ministry said.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroy
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
10 May 2026
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On Friday, a pitchers’ duel was ruined by a circus act of an inning, and the Cardinals beat the Padres 6-0.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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In Bird Box, mysterious entities that drive people who look at them completely insane ravage the planet, and the only way to survive is to not look at them.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
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The majority of those moves in that 2020 season were necessitated by the team seeing nearly one-third of its roster ravaged and only having so many options to fill spots.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
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In a final battle, the Darksaber is destroyed, Gideon and his clones are seemingly killed, and the newly united Mandalorians settle back on Mandalore.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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Initial tests suggested the outbreak may not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which was responsible for Congo’s devastating 2018-2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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There, on the Hudson River waterfront, David Wojnarowicz wrote poems and painted murals alongside Luis Frangella and Mike Bidlo, while Peter Hujar and Dirk Rowntree photographed scenes of impromptu happenings and performances, before the site was demolished in 1984.—
Natalia Torija,
Curbed,
14 May 2026
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Playing in Cincinnati, just about 100 miles away from his hometown of Louisville, Daylen Lile demolished a home run in the 10th inning on Wednesday to help the Washington Nationals earn an 8-7 comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds.—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The trouble was that the British economy was fragile—most mortgages in the UK at the time had variable rates, so raising interest rates would devastate British homeowners.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
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Sarah Konwahahawi Herne was devastated.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
14 May 2026
Verb
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It is thought that the Greek myth could be a retelling of an older Babylonian tale, in which the hero Gilgamesh slayed a colossal dog-headed, winged serpent known as a Mush-dragon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
9 May 2026
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However, this is Mother’s Day weekend, so a golden opportunity to either rewatch Miranda Presley slay another day or finally get a chance to see it for the first time as a holiday outing.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Around the same time as the engagement photo shoots, the brides-to-be start mending their porcelain plates, which were ceremoniously shattered so the brides-to-be could mend them.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
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When her husband Karl finds her after years of searching, that hope is shattered, forcing her to return to Vienna – into a society that once sought to erase her.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The line was a wrecking crew that also managed to outscore the opposition.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Bubba, by the way, was actually wrecked later in the race by John Hunter Nemechek.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroy. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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