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
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Recent Examples of destructive
Orr looks poised to lead a creative, destructive and stingy defense.
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2025
Nor does the movie seem to understand how destructive, manipulative and dishonest Rachel can be.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
These dogs will need a lot of entertainment throughout the day to avoid boredom, which can lead to destructive behaviors.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
And in 1995, a former soldier commandeered a tank in San Diego, leading police of a destructive, city-wide chase.
—Dell Cameron, Wired News, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2025
Nor does the movie seem to understand how destructive, manipulative and dishonest Rachel can be.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
These dogs will need a lot of entertainment throughout the day to avoid boredom, which can lead to destructive behaviors.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
And in 1995, a former soldier commandeered a tank in San Diego, leading police of a destructive, city-wide chase.
—Dell Cameron, Wired News, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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More than six months after devastating wildfires swept across the Los Angeles region in January, the recovery efforts continue.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
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Henson opened up about the devastating moment in a candid conversation with Lena Waithe in the latest episode of the Lemonada Media podcast Legacy Talk.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Spiers: Manchester City had a disastrous 2024-25 season and still only finished 13 points behind Liverpool.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 Aug. 2025
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As for other imports, Doval allowed three runs and took the loss in his debut to start the disastrous weekend.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Miami police are investigating a fatal shooting Wednesday night that left one man dead.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
7 Aug. 2025
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This was the second fatal shooting in Over-the-Rhine within 24 hours.—
David Ferrara,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The fishermen were forced to abandon the Titan after a series of unfortunate events hit the ship.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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After the unfortunate withdrawal of U.S. Classic bars champion Myli Lew in podium training, the women’s bars title is even more up for grabs.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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