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
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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
Her home suffered roof damage, but destruction just down the street shows how close more severe danger was.
—
Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 14 June 2026
Protesters shared concerns about the destruction of existing woods and the killing of trees in the process of allowing heavy machinery access to streambeds.
—Sofia Montoya-Deck, Baltimore Sun, 14 June 2026
Those named in the indictment charged with conspiracy to transmit a threat or destruction of property to prevent seizure face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
—James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
Trump officials have cited the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program as a key objective of the conflict.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for destruction
Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 14 June 2026
Protesters shared concerns about the destruction of existing woods and the killing of trees in the process of allowing heavy machinery access to streambeds.
—Sofia Montoya-Deck, Baltimore Sun, 14 June 2026
Those named in the indictment charged with conspiracy to transmit a threat or destruction of property to prevent seizure face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
—James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
Trump officials have cited the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program as a key objective of the conflict.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for destruction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destruction
Noun
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Pop says the devastation of Iran accounts for the impression Satrapi first made on him.—
Joobin Bekhrad,
Time,
10 June 2026
-
On Thursday, June 4, Good Grief, which details the making of the singer's first album in seven years and the devastation of loss she's faced, premiered at the Tribeca Festival.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
That commodification of wildlife would lead to the downfall of nearly every large mammal in North America.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
His demanding job was ultimately the downfall of their relationship, and a common theme in the early seasons of the show.—
Rachel LaBonte,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Though the Ducks created havoc in the Vegas crease with 30 seconds left and surrendered a chance at the buzzer, the third period ended scoreless to extend Saturday’s showdown.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
23 Nov. 2025
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Astronomers have discovered that an aging red giant star has a closely orbiting stellar companion, which could be causing havoc to the star's processes.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
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.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The only thing that would satisfy the gremlin in me is the ruination of my freedom.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Research also suggests that recycling construction and demolition waste could meet half of China’s aggregate demand by 2050.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
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The former Cooley High School in West Detroit is scheduled for demolition, but vandals broke down a fence and forced open a door to get inside the building over the weekend.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The circumstances surrounding Aponte's death remain under investigation.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
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This death marks the 58th homicide in Kansas City in 2026, compared to 71 at this time last year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.—
Rashad Alexander,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Noun
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The Tapanuli orangutan struggle to withstand even small increases in death rates and annual losses of more than 1% a year likely put the species on a path toward extinction, Meijaard said.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
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That would come as a surprise to variola major, the virus that caused smallpox, driven to extinction by a vaccine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Similarly, the defensively bewildering 9-6 loss the Wild suffered to start Round 2 in Colorado set the tone for five games that would ultimately be their undoing.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
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That sort of sample size is more than enough to infuse the young upstarts with extreme confidence, perhaps countering the massive gap in playoff experience that was supposed to be the Spurs’ undoing.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destruction. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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