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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
The 24 staff members in Ruiz Verduzco’s office are tasked with assisting victims and their families, establishing programs in communities destroyed by violence and drumming up financial support.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The wildfires burning tens of thousands of acres in the South have destroyed homes, prompted evacuations and closed major roads.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Israel said days before a ceasefire took effect on April 8 that its airstrikes had destroyed 70% of Iran's steel production capacity while also hitting petrochemical facilities and transport infrastructure.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Settlements typically require plaintiffs to sign confidentiality agreements, and corporate documents obtained through discovery have to be returned to State Farm or destroyed.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
The original Buddhas’ hands were destroyed centuries ago in an earlier act of iconoclasm; Nguyen has created two monumental steel hands that float slightly away from the sandstone limbs, supported by tall rods.
—Benjamin Sutton, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
They were likely destroyed with easy-to-buy explosives.
—Thad Moore, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The son of a minor industrialist in Karachi, Naqvi studied at a British-style grammar school and then the London School of Economics, before working at Amex and Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm that would later be destroyed in the Enron scandal.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
The 24 staff members in Ruiz Verduzco’s office are tasked with assisting victims and their families, establishing programs in communities destroyed by violence and drumming up financial support.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The wildfires burning tens of thousands of acres in the South have destroyed homes, prompted evacuations and closed major roads.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Israel said days before a ceasefire took effect on April 8 that its airstrikes had destroyed 70% of Iran's steel production capacity while also hitting petrochemical facilities and transport infrastructure.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Settlements typically require plaintiffs to sign confidentiality agreements, and corporate documents obtained through discovery have to be returned to State Farm or destroyed.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
The original Buddhas’ hands were destroyed centuries ago in an earlier act of iconoclasm; Nguyen has created two monumental steel hands that float slightly away from the sandstone limbs, supported by tall rods.
—Benjamin Sutton, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
They were likely destroyed with easy-to-buy explosives.
—Thad Moore, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The son of a minor industrialist in Karachi, Naqvi studied at a British-style grammar school and then the London School of Economics, before working at Amex and Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm that would later be destroyed in the Enron scandal.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroyed
Adjective
-
His choices allow the viewer to drink in the intimate details of the ruined world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
It has been recommended that the Denver Pavilions be demolished.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
2 May 2026
-
It was finally demolished in 2024.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
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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
-
The Mosquito Fire of 2022 had ravaged more than seventy-six thousand acres in Placer and El Dorado Counties.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The owners of an apartment building in Manhattan where three people were killed in a fast-moving fire early Monday are being sued by the city for neglecting fire hazards at a neighboring property, court documents show.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
Mohamed Soliman, 46, faces 184 charges in Boulder County District Court in connection with the June 1 attack that killed one woman and injured 29 others.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The three adults on board — pilot Hernán Murcia, Indigenous leader Herman Mendoza Hernández and Magdalena — were found dead when Colombian soldiers located the wrecked plane two weeks after the crash.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
In recent days, refugees have begun returning to wrecked villages and towns.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The public rarely hears about defense features until an incident happens, such as when bullets shattered glass in 2011 or a radar anomaly put authorities on alert in 2019, exposing a missile battery.—
Neil Flanagan,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
With Philadelphia applying pressure, Winn shattered Trea Turner’s bat to induce a 5-4-3 double play, recording the first two outs of the inning.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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In his own statement, Steinfeld said Celeste’s parents, brother, and sister were left devastated by the flood of grisly details revealed by prosecutors in a court filing Wednesday.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2026
-
According to Jackie, Horner’s actions have devastated their family.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
These pests and diseases can commonly be managed through removal and destruction of damaged tissue.—
Emily Leahy,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
-
Spores from infected leaves and blooms can invade pruning wounds and damaged tissue.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destroyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroyed. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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