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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destructive
On Monday, parts of New South Wales and South Australia states hit record temperatures, some exceeding records set during a destructive summer of forest fires in 2019.
—
CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
This shift requires better rewarding work according to its social and ecological value—raising wages for essential workers, while placing limits on pay in destructive industries such as fossil fuels or tobacco.
—Olivier De Schutter, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
To address the challenge, Hao and her team now designed a non-destructive tracking method capable of monitoring chemical changes inside working solar cells at the microscopic level.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
The deputy executive director (DED) position is a dangerous and destructive force within the PA that should be permanently abolished.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
This shift requires better rewarding work according to its social and ecological value—raising wages for essential workers, while placing limits on pay in destructive industries such as fossil fuels or tobacco.
—Olivier De Schutter, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
To address the challenge, Hao and her team now designed a non-destructive tracking method capable of monitoring chemical changes inside working solar cells at the microscopic level.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
The deputy executive director (DED) position is a dangerous and destructive force within the PA that should be permanently abolished.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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His co-owner and friend, Elia Carranza, described the loss as devastating.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Seattle famously did not hand off to star running back Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson’s pass was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, sealing a Patriots win and putting a devastating end to the Seahawks’ season.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Secretary Noem paused the diversity lottery to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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The main issues on that offense were instability at offensive coordinator, as owner Woody Johnson forced him to fire Mike LaFleur after the 2022 season and replace him with the disastrous Nathaniel Hackett.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier this month proved to Carlson and other Minnesotans that the potential for danger as an observer was not abstract.—
Michael Williams,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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Noem has been under increasing scrutiny following Saturday’s fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal authorities in Minneapolis.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Toni Preckwinkle has served the city of Chicago and Cook County ably throughout her long political career and done much to make life better for the unfortunate among us.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
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French Stewart played Harry Solomon, who was known for his odd posture, nervous energy, and the unfortunate fact that alien messages arrived through his head.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Brown’s primary worry is that the climate will continue to warm and the ice sheet in Greenland will continue to melt at its current rate, which could lead to a catastrophic rise in sea levels.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Jan. 2026
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Power outages still remain in the South following the catastrophic ice impacts of last weekend’s storm.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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