destruction

noun

di-ˈstrək-shən How to pronounce destruction (audio)
Definition of destructionnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of destruction Storms, wildfires, and floods come with dramatic imagery of destruction. — Laura Schifter, Time, 17 July 2026 Thankfully for Odysseus, Athena intervenes to prevent further death and destruction. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 The ever-growing tide of destruction pushed Palestinians into dense and crowded pockets of land on the coastal sand dunes. — Literary Hub, 16 July 2026 When news broke that US Air Force engineer Jeffrey Sovern had been charged in connection to the destruction of 13 Flock devices, redditors flooded the post with praise, sharing links to his legal defense fund and encouraging others to donate. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for destruction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destruction
  1. devastation
  2. downfall
  3. havoc
  4. ruination
  5. demolition
  6. death
  7. extinction
  8. undoing
Noun
  • Burnham has criticized Starmer's approach to Israel's war with Hamas and the devastation of Gaza.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • Their stories recount the devastation to homes and businesses, life in temporary shelters, and the difficult process of rebuilding or relocating.
    — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Definition of devastation
Noun
  • Reform handed the ruling Labour Party a stunning defeat in local elections earlier this year, contributing to the downfall of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
    — Adela Suliman, NBC news, 7 July 2026
  • But the Explorer’s acceleration is loud, prompting one of the vehicle’s few engine downfalls.
    — James Raia, Mercury News, 5 July 2026
Definition of downfall
Noun
  • His counterpressing has been a major aid to the way the team plays, and Balogun’s ability to run in behind the lines and cause havoc in the box opens space and makes things easier for the attacking players around him.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • You’d be forgiven for thinking far fewer of the destructive predators are causing havoc, however.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
Definition of havoc
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
Definition of ruination
Noun
  • The proposal would also be subject to review by the Historic Preservation Commission, which could block demolition for 45 days.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
  • The bigger question for Charlotte The Excelsior’s demolition lands at a moment when Charlotte is repeatedly asking itself which pieces of its past will survive its growth.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026
Definition of demolition
Noun
  • Brown’s wife was Bruneau’s best friend at the time of the victim’s death, and both women worked as flight attendants for Braniff Airlines, a Grapevine police detective wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit filed in June.
    — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
  • The death was the fourth reported at a Sacramento County jail facility in 2026 and the second this year at Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of death
Noun
  • Disney's new live-action Moana recently premiered, but another significant milestone happened earlier this year with the release of Moana 2 in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaii's indigenous language that was once on the brink of extinction.
    — Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • For the first time since COVID threatened theaters with extinction, Hollywood is letting out a huge sigh of relief.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 15 July 2026
Definition of extinction
Noun
  • But that lack of digital savviness was also part of his undoing.
    — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • In Tabor’s telling, Field comes off as a figure of Shakespearean tragedy, someone whose strengths would paradoxically become his undoing.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 July 2026
Definition of undoing

Browse Nearby Words

destructible
destruction
destructions
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Cite this Entry

“Destruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destruction. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on destruction

Nglish: Translation of destruction for Spanish Speakers

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