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destroy

verb

di-ˈstrȯi How to pronounce destroy (audio)
Definition of destroynext
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

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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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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of destroy Money isn’t everything, but dating someone who is in extreme debt or can’t handle their money can destroy a relationship. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 But, in 1993, the canyon’s first nature center was destroyed by the Kinneloa fire. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 How IonQ cracked error correction Since making measurements of a qubit destroys its quantum state, researchers can only gather information about their syndromes to know if the qubit has accumulated an error or not. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026 Just a day later, the estate accused Seaver of making violent threats and trying to destroy her reputation and business interests. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for destroy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroy
  1. ruin
  2. ravage
  3. kill
  4. demolish
  5. devastate
  6. slay
  7. shatter
  8. wreck
Verb
  • Before the attack, millions of books a year were printed in this space, where there’s now nothing but piles of swollen book stock, ruined after firefighters put out the blaze.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • But Timothy Leary’s version became the dominant idea of psychedelics, and when President Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs began, psychedelics were vilified as the gateway to ruin.
    — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Many came from Lee County, which is both where the book is set and one of the counties most ravaged by the opioid epidemic.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • This was a big deal; years earlier, Zespri had specifically created the sweeter golden kiwifruit to be resistant to a disease that had ravaged kiwifruit orchards around the world.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravage
Verb
  • In Gaza City, a strike hit a car, killing one person and wounding several others, according to Shifa Hospital.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • This opaqueness from earlier in the season pays off in the form of John recounting the brutal methods the Manhunter used to decimate this planet, involving a fear gas that made people kill one another and jump to their deaths.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of kill
Verb
  • The block that houses Monarch Donuts will soon be demolished as construction starts on a new retail and residential development called the Arcadia Town Center.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Some are also concerned that the president's proposal for the arch, along with other projects like the ballroom and threats to demolish the Kennedy Center, could significantly alter Washington's landscape.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • The horrors for women and girls are prevalent everywhere, Theron said, but her native South Africa is particularly devastated by it.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Florida citrus growers are planting trees with gene-editing technology to combat the deadly citrus greening disease that has devastated many of their crops.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • With career-defining performances from Jodie Foster and Sir Anthony Hopkins, this movie still absolutely slays 35 years after it was released.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026
  • When his friend Richard (Leo Suter) slays Beatrice’s husband as well, the two come up with a scheme to marry the sisters and take over their property.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of slay
Verb
  • Delicately beautiful, with big emotions and a dramatic flair, the cosseted Vivien’s world was shattered at the age of six, when she was sent to be raised in a convent in England.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Revived fighting shattered a 2022 ceasefire as Houthis strike Saudi cities, oil facilities and shipping, declare a blockade and claim growing power.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • The yahoos in our capital would wreck only the state this time and not the whole country, but the irresponsibility is the same.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Here’s how the shift happened, what the ingredient actually does below the neck and how to fold it into a routine without wrecking your skin barrier.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of wreck

Browse Nearby Words

de-stressing
destroy
destroyed
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Cite this Entry

“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroy. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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