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

Ghidorah, a dragon who arrived from outer space, destroys a city in the opening set piece and only gets more dangerous from there. — James Grebey, Time, 3 Nov. 2026

This overfeeding triggers a runaway nuclear explosion that usually destroys the white dwarf. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2026

The more useful skill for leaders and investors is learning to distinguish between a problem that destroys value and one that can be solved in a way that creates it. — Michael Ligon, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

In the small-cap space, Piper Sandler's Tenthoff likes Monte Rosa Therapeutics, a pioneer in protein degradation that selectively destroys disease-causing proteins. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026

War makes men out of boys, but destroys their minds and bodies in the process. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026

These include immune amnesia, a type of immunosuppression in which the measles virus destroys immune cells and adaptive responses. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

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