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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destructive
The epicenter was at a depth of only 5 miles below the surface and such shallow quakes tend to be more destructive.
—
Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Its destructive sweep ultimately altered the course of Western civilization, contributing to the rise of new political powers and reshaping the geopolitical landscape.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
Under the siege, along with Israel's deadly and destructive airstrikes, the humanitarian situation in Gaza declined rapidly.
—Tom Bowman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
Spacecraft that return to Earth have historically required new heat shields or repairs after each mission given the destructive and brutal erosion that occurs from high-speed atmospheric friction.
—Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Its destructive sweep ultimately altered the course of Western civilization, contributing to the rise of new political powers and reshaping the geopolitical landscape.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
Under the siege, along with Israel's deadly and destructive airstrikes, the humanitarian situation in Gaza declined rapidly.
—Tom Bowman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
Spacecraft that return to Earth have historically required new heat shields or repairs after each mission given the destructive and brutal erosion that occurs from high-speed atmospheric friction.
—Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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More recently, Reitz came under fire for posting what appeared to be photo ops in Kerrville after the devastating Hill Country floods.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Aug. 2025
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The resentencing process proved turbulent, with the hearing postponed several times due to scheduling conflicts and the devastating California wildfires.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Schools’ failure to follow IEPs has resulted in disastrous cases of educational neglect for students like Makenley and Maddox O’Connor.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
8 Sep. 2025
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The New York Jets sent that message to Rodgers following a disastrous two-year term.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Researchers measured violent and property crime data from 2023, fatal car accidents, drug overdose deaths and excessive drinking rates.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
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Here’s what to know about the fatal crash.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Injuries are unfortunate, but shouldn’t be legally actionable outside of cases of true neglect.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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No doubt my disdain for Labor Day has everything to do with its unfortunate spot on the calendar.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared that famine has taken hold in Gaza, affecting more than half a million people—with catastrophic food insecurity already underway.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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To make a mistake with the first year’s winnings is not catastrophic if the winner is going to receive another 25 years’ worth of payments.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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