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
Firefighters battling a blaze that destroyed six homes in south Orange County can expect a bit of reprieve Saturday afternoon as Santa Ana winds begin to die down. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 Its owners, a family of three, left for a cruise before the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel destroyed their property. — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026 Ohtani, who hadn't driven in a run in the postseason, hadn't hit a home run in nearly two months, and had been clearly battling multiple health issues, promptly destroyed a 1-1 pitch at 113 mph and 428 feet to make it 4-0 LA. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Hurricane Betsy in 1965 knocked the building off its pilings and destroyed two rooms, hundreds of feet of docks and other property. — Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 The sheriff's office said multiple drones were deployed and allegedly destroyed by Mullennix. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Three drones were also destroyed in the kingdom's Riyadh and southern regions, the military said. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 During his grand jury testimony, Busfield said the accusations had destroyed his life. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026 Seven locations were destroyed and 100 more shut down in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina, but company executives saw business skyrocket at restaurants that reopened quickly. — ABC News, 8 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
  • That includes what else could get demolished or built, beyond the stadium and team headquarters.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The island is the former home of a Renault factory, which was active for most of the 20th century and demolished in 2005.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For more than 50 years, the house remained vacant, was ravaged by fire, and fell into complete disrepair.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The orangutans, including three mothers with infants and two adolescent males, were rescued from areas in Ketapang and North Kayong regencies that were ravaged by fires between August and September.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • At the conference on Thursday, police did not name the victims, the shooter, or the bystander who killed him.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The subsequent airstrike killed him and, according to independent estimates, at least 125 other people.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 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
  • Multiple temperature records have been shattered, and an intense marine heat wave has been churning since last December — making our typical high tides even higher — El Niño notwithstanding.
    — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Business damaged by gunfire A bullet shattered the window of Tikal Cocina Café during the shooting.
    — Janay Reece, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Decades of deforestation have devastated vast areas of orangutan habitat, pushing the animals into smaller pockets, increasing their vulnerability to poachers.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Going on two years after the wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles-area neighborhoods, a popular moviehouse is ready for its closeup.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Terrain may obstruct radio signals, while damaged infrastructure can limit cellular access.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • At least five people were reported missing, 49 were rescued, and the flood swept away about three dozen homes and damaged bridges, power lines and a hydropower construction site.
    — Binaj Gurubacharya, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Destroyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroyed. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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