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
In Bulgaria, authorities found and destroyed a Russian Gerbera-2 drone, which was not carrying explosives, in the waters of the country’s northern Black Sea coast, the Defense Ministry said Friday. — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026 He was born in 1941 in the village of al-Birwa, which was destroyed by Israeli forces in 1948. — Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026 Significant elements of Iran’s air defense and radar network, ballistic missile and drone production, and storage and launch sites have also been destroyed. — Javed Ali, The Conversation, 6 Nov. 2026 The front of the building was heavily charred, with much of its exterior destroyed. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026 In 2011, researchers confirmed that part of the entrance, destroyed in 1957, had survived, leading to the inclusion of the site in a 2018 research project. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2026 But a freak accident with a forklift destroyed his feet, leading to nearly a decade of operations and physical therapy. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026 Both the rocket and the camera were destroyed after crashing into the Earth at a speed of about 340 miles per hour. — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2026 But those plans were put on hold after a New Glenn rocket exploded in May during routine ground tests and destroyed the company’s Florida launch site. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 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
  • The apartment building where the children were killed was later demolished and the land was turned into a park and a community garden.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • In March, the DOB issued a stop work order after inspectors found the developers had demolished the existing building on the site without providing adequate shielding to neighboring properties, including 1321 Flatbush Avenue.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • The resurrection marks nearly two years after the 2025 wildfires ravaged the area.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2026
  • After holding the Jayhawks to just 14 yards of offense in the first half, the Knights were ravaged in the second half, allowing nearly 400 yards.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • The third-deadliest coal mine disaster in United States history — the Cherry Mine fire in Cherry, Illinois, a town of 500 about 90 miles southwest of Chicago — killed 259 men and boys.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Prosecutors said Murdaugh, 58, killed his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, on their sprawling property in the South Carolina Lowcountry in 2021.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • The Audi driver ran off with his car’s license plates, leaving the wrecked luxury car behind.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Police and firefighters responding to the area discovered the wrecked vehicle along the hillside.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The post said the front windows of the cafe were shattered and a cash register was stolen.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2026
  • That invincibility myth was shattered Thursday when Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO for 33 years, ally of the President of the United States and cofounder of the world’s most valuable AI company, resigned.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • She was devastated, knowing the business is the family's primary source of income and helps support their four children.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Nov. 2026
  • The post-World War II geopolitical landscape is reconstructing itself faster than the Ginza district, which was devastated in the last film and continues to look like a battlefield.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • The Russian missiles that hit overnight across the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, damaged homes and commercial properties, triggering new power and water outages, national and city authorities said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Russian attacks target Ukrainian infrastructure The Russian missiles that hit overnight across the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, damaged homes and commercial properties, triggering new power and water outages, national and city authorities said.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Destroyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroyed. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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