Synonyms of destruction

destruction

noun

di-ˈstrək-shən 

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

• devastation
• havoc
• demolition
• extinction
• loss
• extermination
• annihilation
• obliteration
• decimation
• ruin
• ruination
• wastage
• wreckage
• demolishment
• collapse
• desolation
• disintegration
• slaughter
• mincemeat
• depredation
• dissolution
• massacre
• execution
• despoliation
• breakup
• killing
• assassination
• despoilment
• eradication
• dismantlement
• effacement

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• building
• construction
• erection
• saving
• salvation
• raising
• rescue
• protection
• preservation
• salvage
• conservation
• restoration
• reconstruction
• reclamation
• remodeling
• renovation
• re-creation
• refurbishment
• regeneracy

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

• downfall
• ruination
• death
• undoing
• kiss of death
• curse
• ruin
• torment
• bane
• tragic flaw
• Achilles' heel

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of destruction

Landfall is not necessarily where the strongest winds are, and the wider swirl of a storm can spread destruction across large areas. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

This resulted in the destruction of brand-new weaponry and gear, and a crushing cycle of equipment shortages. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

Love contains the seeds of its own destruction—the cruelty and self-absorption that turns the afflicted against one another, and themselves. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026

Could Hurricane Isaias that strengthened in the Gulf Thursday deliver the destruction of 2024’s Hurricane Helene in the North Carolina mountains? — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026