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

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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 What began as Israel’s military response to Hamas’s brutal attack on October 7 quickly morphed into one of the most destructive military campaigns against civilians in modern times. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026 Fire, however destructive, is also essential to regeneration. — Sara Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026 Unique cases like Rachel show that Mother Nature can always go against conventional wisdom, and, given enough time and the right conditions, potentially destructive things can happen. — Nicholas Grondin, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 Simon is expected to make landfall early tomorrow, bringing heavy rain, destructive waves and potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides, according to the National Hurricane Center. — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
  1. devastating
  2. disastrous
  3. fatal
  4. unfortunate
  5. catastrophic
Adjective
  • That changed after the devastating Glass Fire swept through Napa County in 2020, destroying parts of nearby Deer Park and threatening his community.
    — Kenny Choi, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Boasting a devastating, quick attacking unit in Cole Palmer, Rogers and Joao Pedro, Chelsea’s instinct has been to sit back and invite opponents forward, creating gaps to exploit on the counter.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • But real power, particularly in numbers, can make things happen or stop really disastrous things from happening.
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The 46-year-old was dismissed from the Mets halfway through the 2026 season after a disastrous start, which included a 12-game losing streak in April.
    — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • Another e-bike rider died over the weekend in Huntington Beach, marking the second fatal incident involving an e-bike in the coastal city in months.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Presley, Crawford’s son and Kaia’s older brother, died of a fatal overdose inside a rehab facility after years of struggling with addiction and his mental health.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • Neighbors shocked about stabbing Neighbors say Thomas was known to have mental health issues and called the stabbing unfortunate.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • To make matters worse, India’s Supreme Court, another vital democratic institution, has also played an unfortunate role in this train of events.
    — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Those observations also revealed that Bennu was once part of a much larger, water-rich parent asteroid that shattered in a catastrophic collision in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The catastrophic exit from Afghanistan was devastating to many veterans who had served there.
    — Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of catastrophic

Browse Nearby Words

destructions
destructive
desuetude
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Cite this Entry

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

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