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
Onions can be used as a companion plant to carrots to keep away the destructive carrot fly, a pest that can stunt the growth of carrots and even destroy entire plantings.
—
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2026
They are used to manage pests that are regular and destructive in most years.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Nobody expected Olise to be this good or Diaz to be this destructive.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Just wish-casting a world to exist that doesn’t, which is very destructive.
—Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2026
They are used to manage pests that are regular and destructive in most years.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Nobody expected Olise to be this good or Diaz to be this destructive.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Just wish-casting a world to exist that doesn’t, which is very destructive.
—Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
-
Cade Cunningham had a triple-double for Detroit (27 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists), but had turnovers on three straight possessions late that were devastating.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
As their relationship grows closer — and through devastating events — AJ is inspired to preserve their connection by drawing their story.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Stearns had nothing to do with any of them — and everything to do with the disastrous offseason that made the Mets the worst team in baseball for most of April.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
-
Based on a script by Justin Varava that made the 2024 Black List, Turpentine follows a deadbeat son who hires friends to rob his own parents to pay off a bookie, with disastrous results.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Two Connecticut State Police troopers have been cleared in connection with a fatal shooting in Bozrah last August after the state Inspector General concluded that the armed woman who was shot was apparently trying to commit suicide by cop.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
The star died in 2009, at age 50, of cardiac arrest due to a fatal dose of propofol and other drugs.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
However, Cincinnati and Washington have been done in by unfortunate injuries and organizational disorder.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
The unfortunate problem is that, like most other things, the system can be gamed—people could submit flawed content that lists people as authors who have never been involved.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
In July 1997, parts of Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic were struck by catastrophic river flooding that left more than 100 people dead.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
14 May 2026
-
Blake scrambles back to prevent the catastrophic, but the shot flies over the bar.—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
