1
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
the destructive storm blew down trees all over town, and blew the roof off our neighbor's house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
technology used for destructive ends
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 destructive
While its rate of fire is somewhat slower, the weapon delivers significantly greater kinetic energy and destructive force, increasing its impact per shot, the South China Morning Post reported.
—
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Save the 45-year-old Tallman, the guys are all in their 50s, but their characters are still plenty destructive — especially self-destructive.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
The new Attorney General is apt to be just as destructive as Bondi—maybe even more so, given that Bondi, who had little familiarity with the federal legal system, was not terribly effective in the job.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
The police department submitted the case to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for review of a potential violation of California Penal Code section 18710, relating to the possession of a destructive device.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Save the 45-year-old Tallman, the guys are all in their 50s, but their characters are still plenty destructive — especially self-destructive.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
The new Attorney General is apt to be just as destructive as Bondi—maybe even more so, given that Bondi, who had little familiarity with the federal legal system, was not terribly effective in the job.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
The police department submitted the case to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for review of a potential violation of California Penal Code section 18710, relating to the possession of a destructive device.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
-
Surely, every generation faces this devastating crossroads of actual adulthood.—
Annah Feinberg,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The loss dealt a devastating blow to Seattle’s bid for a playoff spot, costing the club an opportunity to close the gap in the Western Conference wild-card race.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Sure, after the Epstein scandal and that disastrous interview, Andrew was forced to step down as working royal.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
12 Apr. 2026
-
McIlroy led by six strokes after 36 holes but entered Sunday tied for first after a disastrous third round.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But, really, this did feel like a night when those play-off hopes were dealt a potentially fatal blow.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease causing fever, respiratory symptoms and a characteristic rash and can sometimes have severe or fatal complications, especially in young children, according to WHO.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Mikey never ended up doing anything beyond flirting, but his unfortunate turn of phrase was all Sydney needed to begin exploring her options in the villa.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Charlotte Hornets received an unfortunate reminder Friday night in their last home game of the regular season.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Early warnings were dismissed before, with catastrophic consequences.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
For a community already grappling with a $24 million budget deficit this year, the financial consequences of an additional $100 million debt are beyond catastrophic.—
John Gates,
Denver Post,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
