Synonyms of destroys

destroys

verb

present tense third-person singular of destroy

1

as in demolishes

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

• demolishes
• devastates
• shatters
• ruins
• smashes
• wrecks
• overcomes
• erodes
• wastes
• damages
• annihilates
• extinguishes
• decimates
• vaporizes
• cripples
• pulverizes
• kills
• dismantles
• ravages
• razes
• removes
• mars
• desolates
• crushes
• wracks
• breaks
• injures
• subdues
• defeats
• blasts
• nukes
• pulls down
• totals
• tears down
• rubs out
• does in
• disintegrates
• conquers
• creams
• impairs
• deteriorates
• harms
• dissolves
• spoils
• eradicates
• disfigures
• mutilates
• obliterates
• vitiates
• clobbers
• surmounts
• licks
• masters
• defaces
• undoes
• prevails (over)
• assassinates
• thrashes
• wins (against)
• trims
• vandalizes
• mangles
• trounces
• whips
• exterminates
• bests
• triumphs (over)
• routs
• slaughters
• sweeps (away)
• beats
• plunders
• unmakes
• slays
• dynamites
• blows up
• overbears
• wallops
• scours
• disassembles
• effaces
• expunges
• tramples
• wears (away)
• liquidates
• guts
• despoils
• extirpates
• murders
• trashes
• executes
• wipes out
• washes out
• loots
• zaps
• scotches
• overmatches
• stamps (out)
• takes down
• roots (out)
• pillages
• sacks
• blots out
• drubs
• cuts down
• snuffs (out)
• kills off
• dispatches
• mows (down)
• unbuilds
• takes out
• dilapidates
• fells
• massacres
• skunks
• havocs
• butchers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• builds
• creates
• raises
• constructs
• erects
• repairs
• produces
• sets up
• doctors
• makes
• rears
• fixes
• invents
• puts up
• manufactures
• establishes
• protects
• constitutes
• forms
• assembles
• shapes
• preserves
• organizes
• saves
• fathers
• mends
• institutes
• reconditions
• founds
• restores
• brings about
• frames
• conserves
• revamps
• fashions
• patches
• forges
• fabricates
• reconstructs
• molds
• rebuilds
• renovates
• remodels

2

as in ravages

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action

wildfires destroyed thousands of acres in forests across the state

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ravages
• devastates
• ruins
• plunders
• obliterates
• overwhelms
• shatters
• scourges
• eradicates
• annihilates
• vaporizes
• wrecks
• despoils
• extinguishes
• demolishes
• decimates
• desolates
• loots
• expunges
• smashes
• strips
• pillages
• wastes
• wipes out
• extirpates
• wracks
• sacks
• harries
• mows
• forays
• nukes
• razes
• overpowers
• totals
• overthrows
• marauds
• rubs out
• overruns
• crushes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restores
• recovers
• redeems
• repairs
• rehabilitates
• reconditions
• fixes
• mends
• revamps
• patches

3

as in kills

to deprive of life

regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kills
• slays
• takes
• claims
• dispatches
• murders
• carries off
• slaughters
• fells
• does for
• neutralizes
• does away with
• croaks
• assassinates
• annihilates
• does in
• makes away with
• decimates
• wastes
• snuffs
• finishes
• smites
• cuts down
• executes
• mows
• gets
• kills off
• takes out
• terminates
• whacks
• puts away
• rubs out
• offs
• butchers
• knocks off
• blots out
• massacres
• ices
• bumps off
• martyrs
• scrags
• euthanizes
• puts down
• suicides

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• animates
• restores
• raises
• revives
• resurrects
• nurtures
• resuscitates

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of destroys

Zeus obliges, striking their ship with a thunderbolt that destroys it and kills every member of Odysseus’ crew except the king himself. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026

Zeus destroys Odysseus’ last ship, killing his crew and leaving Odysseus as the only survivor. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

Ground-level testing often gets distorted by background emissions from surrounding soil and vegetation, while flying delicate sensors directly into corrosive plumes rapidly destroys the equipment. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026

Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a crass and charismatic oil executive who’s called upon to help save the world after his company nearly destroys it. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 July 2026

The human contribution that remains is precisely the kind of thinking that fragmentation destroys. — Faustino Júnior, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Because this process also destroys beneficial bacteria, live cultures are added after pasteurization to make frozen yogurt. — Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 July 2026

The most common type of dementia, which destroys memory and cognitive function, was responsible for 116,022 deaths in 2024, NCHS data shows. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

Photothermolysis is a scientific term that explains how energy from lasers selects, heats, and destroys a target—which could include melanin. — Tayler Adigun, Allure, 2 July 2026