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destructive

adjective

di-ˈstrək-tiv How to pronounce destructive (audio)
Definition of destructivenext
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

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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 Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, but some of its most destructive impacts occurred hundreds of miles inland across the southern Appalachians. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 Skeptics note the American AI industry faces steep hurdles to gaining sufficient computing abilities to give its technology the power needed for truly destructive behavior. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026 When that happens, personal history can override sound judgement and lead to impulsive or destructive decisions. — Jan Gerber, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026 The development of cutting-edge, non-destructive techniques has been helping to unlock those secrets, aiding conservation efforts. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
  1. devastating
  2. disastrous
  3. fatal
  4. unfortunate
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • These are the glimmers of something in the fringes that keep The Cherry Orchard, even in our age of jonesing to burn it all down, so miraculously delicate and devastating.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The survival thriller, directed by David Ayer, follows a Special Forces officer and his combat dog who, after a devastating plane crash, get stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • The agency might even take the opportunity to completely redesign the disastrous Ashland, Armitage and Elston Avenue intersection and save generations of Chicagoans the headache of spending 15 minutes navigating through a single stoplight.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Where his focus has been following the Dolphins’ special team unit’s disastrous performance in Miami’s 27-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders is patching the leaks that led to three massive returns to the Raiders and a missing a field-goal attempt.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • That is until his young niece and nephew are kidnapped at a birthday party following the fatal shooting of his diplomat brother and the latter’s wife (Constanza Andrade).
    — Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Boeing admitted responsibility for the fatal crashes and that its employees withheld information about the design flaw from the Federal Aviation Administration during certification.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • One of these evils had the mass murder of civilians as its intended goal; the other claims that its victims are unfortunate accidents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But those who get too close risk far more than a soaking, as Niagara is a graveyard for the reckless, the unfortunate and the desperate.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • There were also calls for Congressional oversight hearings on AI’s catastrophic risks.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun urged Washington to stop expanding its military footprint off the planet, warning against a catastrophic space arms race.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of catastrophic

Browse Nearby Words

destructions
destructive
desuetude
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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