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

Unlike a measurement that absorbs or destroys the photons, this method can extract information while preserving the photons themselves. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Raking or shredding those leaves destroys the next generation. — Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Jains typically do not eat root vegetables because harvesting them destroys the whole plant and harms life-forms around it. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026

This natural inversion destroys leadership, fractures relationships and halts self-improvement. — Brendan Keegan, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Justice Clint Bolick, writing for the majority, said courts, not government agencies, must determine when public records can be legally withheld and redacted, and that a government agency that destroys a record can be held liable. — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2026

When the Farmer destroys the flock’s beloved pumpkin patch, Shaun turns mad scientist to fix the problem, only for events to spiral out of control as a wild beast roams the woods of Mossingham. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2026

The approval marks another step forward for patients with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare and progressive disease that destroys nerve cells that control speaking, breathing, and walking. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 14 Sep. 2026

Similar to the original movie, in which Clara’s little brother damages a nutcracker, Kelly destroys the arm of a nutcracker while playing with it. — Parents, 14 Sep. 2026