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
Far from creating some new inflection point, this war will wind down, leaving in its wake substantial destruction and the inevitable anticipation about when the next round will take place.
—
Daniel Kurtzer, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
The combination of an unknown population size and active habitat destruction puts Gastrotheca mittaliiti in a precarious position from the moment of its scientific debut.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Apr. 2026
These Chicago scientists and engineers played a critical role in the Manhattan Project, helping develop the atomic bombs that were used to bring about the unfathomable destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
—Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Large segments of the population, particularly those in the majority-Shiite south, will face disproportionate barriers to participation as displacement, insecurity and the destruction of infrastructure make voter registration, campaigning and access to polling stations significantly more difficult.
—Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destruction
Daniel Kurtzer, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
The combination of an unknown population size and active habitat destruction puts Gastrotheca mittaliiti in a precarious position from the moment of its scientific debut.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Apr. 2026
These Chicago scientists and engineers played a critical role in the Manhattan Project, helping develop the atomic bombs that were used to bring about the unfathomable destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
—Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Large segments of the population, particularly those in the majority-Shiite south, will face disproportionate barriers to participation as displacement, insecurity and the destruction of infrastructure make voter registration, campaigning and access to polling stations significantly more difficult.
—Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destruction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destruction
Noun
-
But through this devastation came a discovery.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
But if the technology went rogue, or fell into the wrong hands, the devastation could be total.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The revelations placed Sánchez Arveláiz within the orbit of Lava Jato, the sprawling anti-corruption investigation that reshaped politics across Latin America and led to the downfall of dozens of business and political figures.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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From confirmation to downfall During her confirmation hearings, Bondi promised to safeguard the Justice Department’s independence and bolster its transparency.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The aim is for Abdul to cause havoc in the United States, the West Bank and Iran.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In the twentieth century, the same storms that made headlines in New York wreaked quieter havoc across the river.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The only thing that would satisfy the gremlin in me is the ruination of my freedom.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
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On the left side of the stage, the ruination of the world around Tuesday and Weeks is symbolized by the show’s most astonishing physical feature: Shipley’s magnificent creation of glow-in-the-dark coral-like formations clinging to two other columns.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Smith said the beams weren’t in the original plan — until a demolition project offered something with history.—
David Caraccio
April 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Saved from demolition and ingenuously repurposed as a restaurant in 2020, the old rail ties used to make the bar, The Depot is now one of the places to be in a growing, bustling city of 25,000.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In their affidavit filed in court, officers paint Watson’s death as a drug deal gone wrong.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Her death is being investigated as a homicide.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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California lawmakers on Tuesday moved forward on a bill that could lead to the re-introduction of grizzly bears to the state, more than a century after the quarter-ton predators were hunted into local extinction.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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Tony told us how large trawlers would go out farther into the water and catch more than locals did, gradually shrinking the cod population to near extinction.—
Akash Kapur,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The consistent odds-on favorite to win this season’s crown, the drag queen from Spokane, Washington, is still very clearly processing her startling elimination in the improv challenge that would prove her undoing.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
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But his conclusion that the Nazis were no different from anyone else proves to be his undoing.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destruction. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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