Thesaurus
Synonyms & Antonyms of destroy
1
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 for destroy
Words Related to destroy
- beat,
- best,
- clobber,
- conquer,
- crush,
- defeat,
- drub,
- lick,
- master,
- overbear,
- overcome,
- overmatch,
- prevail (over),
- rout,
- scotch,
- skunk,
- subdue,
- surmount,
- thrash,
- trim,
- triumph (over),
- trounce,
- wallop,
- whip,
- win (against)
- blast,
- blow up,
- break,
- cripple,
- damage,
- deface,
- deteriorate,
- disfigure,
- disintegrate,
- dissolve,
- dynamite,
- harm,
- impair,
- injure,
- mangle,
- mar,
- mutilate,
- spoil,
- vitiate
Near Antonyms for destroy
Antonyms for destroy
2
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
- wildfires destroyed thousands of acres in forests across the state
Synonyms for destroy
Words Related to destroy
Near Antonyms for destroy
3
to deprive of life
- regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse
Synonyms for destroy
Words Related to destroy
Phrases Synonymous with destroy
- do away with,
- do for
- [chiefly British],
- make away with
Near Antonyms for destroy
Antonyms for destroy
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Words of the Week - 2/19/2021
The Words of the Week - 2/19/2021
Some of the words that defined the week ending February 19, 2021
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroy. Accessed 15 Aug. 2022.
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Time Traveler for destroy
The first known use of destroy was in the 13th century
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