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 After the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, interpreters understood Temple service broadly in terms of study, prayer, and upholding the commandments. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026 The film follows a modest family on the outskirts of Tehran who faces the imminent destruction of their home as part of a vast redevelopment project. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 July 2026 Enough time has passed since the last earthquake in 1977 that people have started to forget the destruction. — Andrei Popoviciu, The Dial, 23 July 2026 There was no immediate sign of unrest ‌on Thursday after Ben-Gvir’s visit on Tisha ‌B’Av, a day of fasting and lament in Judaism mourning the destruction of the ancient Jewish temples. — Reuters, NBC news, 23 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
  • One downfall of being a homeowner is seeing your home start to become a place for unwelcome guests like bats.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
  • Believing the Trojan Horse to be a peace offering, the officers drag the hollow figure inside the city walls and place it outside the Temple of Athena, which leads to Troy’s harrowing downfall hours later.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Definition of downfall
Noun
  • Hundreds of homes and businesses in Queens were without power Sunday after a sudden storm caused havoc across the city a day earlier, flooding major highways and leaving motorists stranded.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026
  • Bernthal’s biggest scenes are flashbacks to the Trojan War, as Menelaus and his army wreak bloody havoc on Troy that haunts Odysseus for many years after.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 16 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 indictment alleged Cacioppo sent invoices to a Rockhurst University employee for demolition and asbestos abatement work that inflated costs or billed for work that was never done.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the demolition of Palestinian villages in the area in response to the killings.
    — Abeer Salman, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Definition of demolition
Noun
  • At the time of his death, Garcia-Sanchez was hauling asbestos-containing materials from the ninth floor to lower levels using a freight elevator, the report said.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • Carmack’s wife and two children all attended Queens, and his family currently stewards a scholarship his wife’s parents set up at the school prior to their deaths.
    — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
Definition of death
Noun
  • There are wild yaks, which face the risk of extinction and are protected under Chinese law.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • But it can also be read to argue that something well short of an extinction-level event can introduce real historical discontinuity.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Definition of extinction
Noun
  • Their win was a victory for method over the madness that always threatened to be Argentina’s undoing.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • By hiding violence inside a gift, Nolan suggests that Odysseus and his men lay the groundwork for humanity’s undoing.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 19 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of destruction for Spanish Speakers

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