Synonyms of destroying

destroying

verb

present participle of destroy

1

as in ruining

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

• ruining
• wrecking
• demolishing
• shattering
• devastating
• smashing
• damaging
• wasting
• overcoming
• eroding
• extinguishing
• annihilating
• decimating
• marring
• dismantling
• crippling
• razing
• killing
• vaporizing
• ravaging
• pulverizing
• removing
• crushing
• defeating
• blasting
• totaling
• breaking
• injuring
• nuking
• subduing
• wracking
• tearing down
• creaming
• pulling down
• doing in
• conquering
• harming
• disintegrating
• spoiling
• desolating
• impairing
• eradicating
• deteriorating
• trimming
• mutilating
• licking
• dissolving
• mastering
• rubbing out
• obliterating
• defacing
• surmounting
• clobbering
• assassinating
• dynamiting
• whipping
• vandalizing
• prevailing (over)
• slaughtering
• disfiguring
• winning (against)
• undoing
• routing
• murdering
• plundering
• beating
• mangling
• exterminating
• scouring
• gutting
• vitiating
• besting
• thrashing
• wearing (away)
• disassembling
• triumphing (over)
• sweeping (away)
• sacking
• liquidating
• despoiling
• expunging
• extirpating
• looting
• trampling
• executing
• trashing
• walloping
• massacring
• pillaging
• effacing
• blowing up
• trouncing
• slaying
• wiping out
• overmatching
• washing out
• scotching
• dispatching
• taking down
• zapping
• overbearing
• butchering
• unmaking
• cutting down
• stamping (out)
• blotting out
• dilapidating
• drubbing
• rooting (out)
• unbuilding
• killing off
• felling
• snuffing (out)
• taking out
• mowing (down)
• skunking
• havocking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• building
• constructing
• creating
• raising
• repairing
• erecting
• fixing
• rearing
• producing
• setting up
• making
• forming
• putting up
• establishing
• inventing
• shaping
• manufacturing
• assembling
• protecting
• forging
• preserving
• organizing
• saving
• framing
• fashioning
• constituting
• molding
• revamping
• fabricating
• patching
• reconditioning
• restoring
• mending
• instituting
• conserving
• bringing about
• doctoring
• founding
• rebuilding
• reconstructing
• remodeling
• fathering
• renovating

2

as in ravaging

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action

wildfires destroyed thousands of acres in forests across the state

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ravaging
• devastating
• ruining
• wrecking
• plundering
• obliterating
• eradicating
• shattering
• scourging
• stripping
• despoiling
• looting
• demolishing
• pillaging
• sacking
• annihilating
• extinguishing
• vaporizing
• decimating
• marauding
• wasting
• smashing
• expunging
• extirpating
• harrying
• wiping out
• totaling
• overwhelming
• razing
• nuking
• wracking
• mowing
• overthrowing
• desolating
• overrunning
• foraying
• overpowering
• crushing
• rubbing out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restoring
• recovering
• rehabilitating
• repairing
• fixing
• redeeming
• reconditioning
• mending
• patching
• revamping

3

as in killing

to deprive of life

regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

• killing
• slaying
• taking
• murdering
• dispatching
• claiming
• slaughtering
• felling
• carrying off
• doing away with
• assassinating
• doing for
• neutralizing
• doing in
• croaking
• wasting
• annihilating
• decimating
• finishing
• massacring
• snuffing
• making away with
• butchering
• cutting down
• whacking
• executing
• smiting
• mowing
• terminating
• getting
• offing
• taking out
• killing off
• putting away
• rubbing out
• blotting out
• knocking off
• icing
• bumping off
• scragging
• martyring
• euthanizing
• putting down
• suiciding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restoring
• animating
• raising
• reviving
• resurrecting
• nurturing
• resuscitating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of destroying

Pumping at high speeds creates a suction vortex (upconing) that violently draws heavy sludge into the production stream, fouling piping and destroying surface pumps. — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

The tornado wreaked havoc in the village of 1,000 inhabitants, reducing homes to rubble and destroying numerous cars. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

The Hawk Fire is over 15,000 acres, destroying dozens of homes and leaving several people injured, including firefighters, according to the Reno Gazette Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network. — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes around Syria after the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in late 2024, mainly destroying army assets to keep them out of the hands of his successors. — Arkansas Online, 23 Aug. 2026

Hmeimin served as a hub for Syrian warplanes that repeatedly bombed anti-Assad opposition groups, killing several civilians and destroying large parts of Syria’s infrastructure, including hospitals and medical facilities, in the process. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

In March, Lang was arrested for destroying an ice sculpture on the front steps of the Minnesota Capitol. — Chloe Rosen, CBS News, 22 Aug. 2026

The show was filmed across Northern Ireland, and the weather proved to be brutal, with the rain constantly destroying sets that had to be rebuilt. — Matt Minton, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026

The Ukrainian defenders repelled the attack and posted video footage of their kamikaze drone strikes destroying at least seven T-72B3A tanks, including some that carried the Arena-M system, according to Euromaidan Press. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026