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

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

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 The destruction also forced the McDermotts to close Caddy Shacks during a particularly important stretch for the seasonal resort town. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 Comparing himself to anti-capitalist killer Luigi Mangione, the suspect has sparked online debate in Southern California’s warehouse belt over crushing living costs, stagnant pay and growing sympathy for politically motivated destruction. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Still, the game smartly kicks off with a quick rundown of what went down in the first Isolation, narrated by Ripley, who was responsible for the destruction of the infested Sevastopol station. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026 There is no backstop to help with the demand destruction, as the economists put it, to just get the demand to a place where the supply can actually catch up. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 2 Sep. 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
  • Once there, staring at the devastation, there was no denying the reality of death.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
  • That moment came after floodwaters caused the Guadalupe River to rise to historic levels in the early morning hours of Independence Day, bringing death and devastation to Kerr County and the surrounding area.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastation
Noun
  • Thematic methodologies have been one of the downfalls of contemporary museology (and art history) generally, a crisis of collective memory and the historical imagination overall.
    — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Silver Academy was not the only institution housed on the Grass Campus that was hurt by the Harrisburg federation’s downfall.
    — Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of downfall
Noun
  • Although not a direct hit, Lala dumped nearly 3 feet of rain on the Big Island, bringing widespread havoc.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In the movie, a group of teens accidentally release a bunch of monsters from Stine’s book collection, creating complete havoc and plenty of great family-friendly frights.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • No other city in the country would blow off the ruination of a community.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of ruination
Noun
  • But just a couple of hundred yards away, Israeli tanks and bulldozers are visible, and the demolition of buildings continues apace.
    — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The Marriott Marquis hotel tower replaced five of them, including the beloved old Morosco, and outrage over their demolition continues to this day.
    — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of demolition
Noun
  • His death ignited anger in a small town where tensions between Black residents and the police have boiled over in recent years.
    — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The public health department’s document also listed a history of stroke and kidney cancer as other significant conditions that contributed to his death, but did not result in the underlying cause of Curry’s death.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of death
Noun
  • The sport itself was, for some time, considered to be on its way to slow extinction.
    — Corey Seymour, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But a myth about these shy, semi-nocturnal predators may have been behind the species’ extinction.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of extinction
Noun
  • That part was sorely lacking at LSU and was a big reason for his undoing.
    — Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Will be a factor early especially with the inside draw, but distance will be his undoing.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of undoing

Browse Nearby Words

destructible
destruction
destructions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Destruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destruction. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All