1
as in devastation
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the violent storm resulted in the destruction of their tree house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life
alcohol will be her destruction if we don't intervene to help her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destruction
Lot in Christianity In the New Testament Lot is recalled as a righteous man saved from Sodom’s destruction.
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Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 July 2026
The attack caused the widest destruction in Kyiv so far this year, and was the deadliest since at least May when 24 people were killed in a strike that brought down an apartment block.
—
Gleb Garanich,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
How realistic is this, especially after the destruction of Launch Complex 36A?
—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
Hearn was indicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on a single count of destruction of property worth $1,000 or more, a felony charge that carries up to 10 years in prison.
—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for destruction
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 July 2026
The attack caused the widest destruction in Kyiv so far this year, and was the deadliest since at least May when 24 people were killed in a strike that brought down an apartment block.
—
Gleb Garanich,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
How realistic is this, especially after the destruction of Launch Complex 36A?
—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2026
Hearn was indicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on a single count of destruction of property worth $1,000 or more, a felony charge that carries up to 10 years in prison.
—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for destruction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destruction
Noun
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Following years of economic devastation and underinvestment in public services, the country’s infrastructure – from hospitals to electricity and water – is ill-equipped to deal with a crisis like this.
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And then there's water damage and the devastation caused by flooding.
Noun
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That would be his downfall on Monday, too, hitting his putt a little too hard.
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The Sound and The Fury Told by four narrators in a stream of consciousness writing style, this 1929 story describes the downfall of a wealthy Southern aristocratic family, the Compsons.
Noun
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The beloved southern elephant seal, Neil the Seal, is back in Tasmania, causing havoc yet again and garnering fans through his antics.
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Those same issues have ships and planes on high alert in the Middle East, and the ongoing conflict across the region is causing havoc for civilian applications like ride-hailing and food delivery.
Noun
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Some of these are arranged into more staid compositions of geometric bands of color, while others bend and bulge into shapes evoking the baroque ruination of junk-yard findings.
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The only thing that would satisfy the gremlin in me is the ruination of my freedom.
Noun
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The Robeson site developer ultimately began demolition on that site over the winter, so the city did not have to carry out receivership there.
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Project Purple is being built about two years after the demolition of Kingda Ka, the park's iconic launch coaster that stood 456 feet tall before it was removed in early 2025.
Noun
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Benning's cause of death was a fatal combination of a large amount of cocaine dissolved in alcohol, medical examiners testified during Taylor's trial.
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According to a Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner death investigation report obtained by USA TODAY on July 1, Ransone's brother told an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department that the actor had a history of suicidal ideation.
Noun
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Although this is likely an underestimate, due to insufficient data on more than half of North America's firefly species, at least 18 species are officially listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as threatened with extinction.
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The fossils date to the Paleocene Epoch, the first 10 million years after the end-Cretaceous extinction, during which mammals rapidly diversified as ecosystems slowly recovered.
Noun
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In Tabor’s telling, Field comes off as a figure of Shakespearean tragedy, someone whose strengths would paradoxically become his undoing.
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Ironically, the runaway success of this year’s World Cup may prove to be Lalas’ undoing.
Cite this Entry
“Destruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destruction. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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