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

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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
Glutathione was offered to firefighters during recent blazes that destroyed hundreds of buildings in and around Spokane, Washington. ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 If satellites supporting communications or ISR were damaged or destroyed, a faster and less expensive launch system could theoretically allow replacement spacecraft to be deployed more quickly. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026 The Los Angeles fires in 2025 (also called the Palisades and Eaton fires) damaged or destroyed more than 18,000 structures, making them among California’s most destructive wildfires. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 In those animals, the clustered engram synapses were destroyed indiscriminately—just like every other synapse. Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2026 There are so many things that fall by the wayside, get destroyed and steamrolled. Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026 That storm dumped torrential rain — more than 3 feet in spots on the windward side of the island — that triggered damaging landslides and flash flooding that cut off small communities, destroyed homes and damaged critical infrastructure. Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 Let’s look back at the storm that destroyed parts of South Miami-Dade, ripped families from their homes, turned us into survivalists with no power or landmarks — and gave us the determination to rebuild. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 More than 100 public facilities have also been destroyed or damaged, including 87 educational facilities, 18 health facilities, six offices and five places of worship. Christine Valora, The Washington Examiner, 15 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
  • Its status as a historic landmark saved it from being demolished like all its sister theaters, but Santana Row owner Federal Realty controls its fate.
    Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Eventually, some buildings were demolished to control the fires.
    Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Syrian civil war, which started in 2011, killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions more and has ravaged the country’s economy.
    Paula Hancocks, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The region ravaged by the quakes is also scarred by floods that, by some estimates, left as many as 30,000 people dead in 1999.
    Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Prosecutors allege Shakur was killed to avenge the rapper's entourage attacking Davis' nephew, Anderson, a few hours earlier at the MGM Grand after a boxing match involving Mike Tyson.
    CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Forty of those have been delivered, Skibitskiy said, and two are suspected to have been used in Radushne, in the Dnipro Region, on 30 July in an attack that killed at least four children from the same family.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 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
  • Windows were shattered at a children’s hospital in the Solomianskyi district, said Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.
    Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Cops responding to the area found a window shattered by gunfire and a pool of blood inside Hakim’s, a nearby seasonal restaurant for adults that neighbors say has become a teen hangout.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Family members declined to speak on camera but told CBS News Miami they are devastated by the incident.
    Abby Dodge, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Daniel Vaz De Melo Sa, business development manager for Guidoni USA, said the flood of imports devastated operations at the company’s site in McRae, Georgia.
    Bloomberg News, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The storm brought straight-line winds clocked at 99 mph that tore out trees, toppled utility poles and lines, and damaged homes, as well as torrential rain.
    Amy Lavalley, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Video showed at least three damaged cars, including a silver vehicle with its entire rear bumper and trunk caved in.
    Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Destroyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroyed. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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