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
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 Almost 50 homes and other structures have been destroyed so far; there have been several injuries, and one of Tibbetts’s neighbors lost 20 German shepherds. Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026 Last month, San Francisco lawmakers unanimously declared the Latin Rock House a historic landmark, formally protecting the Spanish-style home from being painted over, altered or destroyed by future owners or developers without the city's permission. Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026 By the end of March, intelligence assessments said that about one-third of Iran’s missile arsenal had been destroyed. Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026 Surveillance videos on the cruise ship had already been destroyed before law enforcement officers started their probe. Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 In 2026, multiple Flock cameras in California were vandalized, torn down or destroyed by civilians leading to arrests in Sacramento County, Monterey County, Placer County and Alameda County. Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Glutathione was offered to firefighters during recent blazes that destroyed hundreds of buildings in and around Spokane, Washington. ABC News, 23 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
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
  • Meanwhile, as cars replaced horses, streets had to be widened, and several of the city’s many inconvenient hills were flattened—some houses were demolished, but plenty were simply rolled out of the way.
    Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
  • His Administration demolished the White House’s East Wing to make way for a ballroom costing hundreds of millions of dollars—a project facing its own legal challenges.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Efforts to bring the outbreak under control — from limited public gatherings to social distancing and airport closures — have disrupted life in the six affected provinces, particularly Ituri, which has been ravaged by rebel violence.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In a world that’s been ravaged by a virus, with many living on the skids, survivors face roaming scavengers called Reapers.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Rob and Michelle Reiner were killed on December 14, 2025, and Nick is charged with two counts of murder.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Son of a partisan fighter The son of a World War Two partisan fighter killed in 1945, Mladic was an officer in the old communist Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) when Yugoslavia's disintegration began in 1991.
    Ivana Sekularac, USA Today, 27 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
  • Adolf Hitler's army has been shattered, but thousands of Nazi fanatics are prepared to engage in an epic last stand.
    Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The case against the Tates That image of impunity shattered on July 18, when US Marshals arrested the brothers outside a bare-knuckle boxing match in Miami on an extradition request from British authorities.
    Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The flash flood which has devastated settlements in northern Nepal was caused by an earthquake triggering a large landslide which blocked the Bhote Koshi river, according to Nepal’s foreign minister Shishir Khanal.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In season one, Alice (Nicola Walker) is devastated when her best friend Steve (Jemaine Clement) starts dating her 26-year-old daughter Izzy.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Persuading big American oil companies to return to the region could prove a challenge given the political uncertainty and damaged infrastructure.
    Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • As families wait for news about their relatives, damaged roads, power outages and fears of further flooding have hampered rescue efforts.
    Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Destroyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroyed. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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