as in ruined
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1
as in demolished
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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2
as in ravaged
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 killed
to deprive of life
regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destroyed
Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026
The video and the SCE data offer proof that the 100-year-old line, which hadn’t been used since the early 1970s, became re-electrified and sparked the fire that killed 19 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena and surrounding areas, attorneys say.
—Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 10 June 2026
Denver's City Park lost a special piece of history when its bandshell was destroyed by a fire in March.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a series of posts on Telegram on Tuesday morning that at least 11 drones had been destroyed by Russian air defenses near the capital.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
The program is for homeowners whose property has been damaged or destroyed by a disaster such as a fire, flood or earthquake and applies to their 2025 property taxes only.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Vesuvius famously destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79, but its greatest danger today comes from the sheer number of people living within reach of future pyroclastic flows and ashfall.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
Officials said the home where Chiara and her husband lived was destroyed in the blaze, according to WCVB.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
Russian air defenses intercepted and destroyed more than 350 Ukrainian drones over territories both close to the border but also as further afield as Moscow, St Petersburg, and Novgorod in the country’s west, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Verb
The current San Geronimo Chapel was built in 1850 to replace a church destroyed in the Mexican American War.
—Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026
The video and the SCE data offer proof that the 100-year-old line, which hadn’t been used since the early 1970s, became re-electrified and sparked the fire that killed 19 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena and surrounding areas, attorneys say.
—Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 10 June 2026
Denver's City Park lost a special piece of history when its bandshell was destroyed by a fire in March.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a series of posts on Telegram on Tuesday morning that at least 11 drones had been destroyed by Russian air defenses near the capital.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
The program is for homeowners whose property has been damaged or destroyed by a disaster such as a fire, flood or earthquake and applies to their 2025 property taxes only.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Vesuvius famously destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79, but its greatest danger today comes from the sheer number of people living within reach of future pyroclastic flows and ashfall.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
Officials said the home where Chiara and her husband lived was destroyed in the blaze, according to WCVB.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
Russian air defenses intercepted and destroyed more than 350 Ukrainian drones over territories both close to the border but also as further afield as Moscow, St Petersburg, and Novgorod in the country’s west, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroyed
Adjective
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His choices allow the viewer to drink in the intimate details of the ruined world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But the building was demolished within a day of the fire, making certainty impossible.—
Max Kutner,
HollywoodReporter,
7 June 2026
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The set design is centered around the flooded, burned down, and demolished house that appears in the album visuals and is somehow still standing despite it all.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Then, a year after the Palisades wildfires ravaged Southern California, destroying his home, Pratt, 42, announced his bid for Los Angeles mayor.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
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The year before, his hometown of Mexico City had been ravaged by a massive earthquake.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Three people were killed and 20 more people were attacked by bears across at least nine prefectures between April and June 2, according to public broadcaster NHK.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Alabama's relatively new nitrogen gas execution method could inflict a cruel amount of pain and suffering on a death row inmate who says that he'd rather be killed by a firing squad, a federal appeals court has ruled.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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The officer pulled his weapon and ordered him to stay in the wrecked car.—
Michael Abeyta,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
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For days, no one connected the wrecked car to Marcus.—
Edie Peffley,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The family members of South Florida Realtor Melanie Hyer and her two young daughters say they are shattered after the three were killed in their Doral home at the hands of the children’s father.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
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The bullet penetrated his hip, thrust through his knee and shattered his femur.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Let’s hope that wisdom returns today to support humanitarian aid for war devastated nations.—
William Lambers,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
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Meanwhile, Mason was left devastated, according to his parents.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Russian drone strikes overnight also injured civilians and damaged buildings and businesses in the Kharkiv, Odesa and Chernihiv regions, regional authorities said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
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But over time, the cutting edges on a drill bit will wear down, causing materials start to splinter, leading to chipped wood or damaged walls.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destroyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroyed. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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