destroyed 1 of 2

destroyed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of destroy
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

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 destroyed
Verb
Forces also destroyed a third vessel, the M/T Kylo near the Gulf of Oman. Gabrielle Khoriaty, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026 And, as Europe has felt more threatened by Russian incursions, a week ago NATO fighter jets destroyed a drone near Romania’s natural gas projects in the Black Sea. Jordan Blum, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026 In the Boryspil district, a fire sparked by a strike partially destroyed a nine-story residential building. ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026 Hassouna soon cuts to the aftermath of warning strikes that have destroyed 12 houses near the Shujaiya quarter of Gaza City. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 The system directs concentrated energy at a vulnerable part of an incoming object until the target is disabled or destroyed. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026 The outdoor cinema is wrapped by a rough-hewn Brutalist perimeter—half-lined with concrete cubes, the other half enclosed with planks salvaged from the boardwalk destroyed during Hurricane Sandy. Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026 While the rescue of two men in Nepal brought some rare good news on Friday, the broader situation in the country remains challenging, with thousands of people displaced and thousands of homes destroyed. Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 The fire started in the 2300 block of Pickett Road and destroyed five structures, according to Cal Fire. Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroyed
Adjective
  • Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • Now it will be demolished and replaced as part of a $250 million sports complex project.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • After the property crisis cuts off family support, a filmmaker returns from the US to find his home demolished by a bankrupt father who once shaped Shenzhen’s skyline.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • As the portrait advances, the three men move deeper into a Europe ravaged by wars and uprisings.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Interest in Tino Livramento had been anticipated but did not come after his injury-ravaged 2025-26.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • From Minnesota and Indiana to California and Florida, people across the nation who killed others while speeding are now facing charges that carry life sentences.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Two people were killed, along with the suspect, and five were injured in a Minnesota shooting.
    Josh Feldman, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Police and firefighters responding to the area discovered the wrecked vehicle along the hillside.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Hundreds of clay jars known as amphorae were discovered inside the wrecked ship, alongside lead anchor stocks and other artifacts, police said.
    Isabella Colletta, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The wide receiver shattered multiple Hurricanes records last season and is already one of the faces of college football.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The bullet went through the front glass door and shattered it, according to court records.
    David Ulloa Jr, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, hundreds of thousands fled to Houston.
    David Moin, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • It was found in Shasta County, in an area that was devastated in the Carr Fire in 2018.
    Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Analysts said the move was aimed at forcing companies to pay for their own security and bring damaged assets back into service, despite the cost.
    Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Clean water is hard to come by, as the floods contaminated water systems and damaged infrastructure.
    Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Destroyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroyed. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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