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
While its rate of fire is somewhat slower, the weapon delivers significantly greater kinetic energy and destructive force, increasing its impact per shot, the South China Morning Post reported.
—
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Save the 45-year-old Tallman, the guys are all in their 50s, but their characters are still plenty destructive — especially self-destructive.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
The new Attorney General is apt to be just as destructive as Bondi—maybe even more so, given that Bondi, who had little familiarity with the federal legal system, was not terribly effective in the job.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
The police department submitted the case to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for review of a potential violation of California Penal Code section 18710, relating to the possession of a destructive device.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Save the 45-year-old Tallman, the guys are all in their 50s, but their characters are still plenty destructive — especially self-destructive.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
The new Attorney General is apt to be just as destructive as Bondi—maybe even more so, given that Bondi, who had little familiarity with the federal legal system, was not terribly effective in the job.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
The police department submitted the case to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for review of a potential violation of California Penal Code section 18710, relating to the possession of a destructive device.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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Surely, every generation faces this devastating crossroads of actual adulthood.—
Annah Feinberg,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The loss dealt a devastating blow to Seattle’s bid for a playoff spot, costing the club an opportunity to close the gap in the Western Conference wild-card race.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Trailing by three after a disastrous first period, the Sharks got goals from Nick Leddy and Macklin Celebrini in the second period, and a nifty third-period goal from Alex Wennberg to tie the game and bring the capacity crowd at SAP Center to life.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The regular sight of US citizens paraded in Iran was disastrous for former President Jimmy Carter.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But, really, this did feel like a night when those play-off hopes were dealt a potentially fatal blow.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease causing fever, respiratory symptoms and a characteristic rash and can sometimes have severe or fatal complications, especially in young children, according to WHO.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Russian ambassador to Libya hung out in my room, as did a Russian kid named Konstantin with an unfortunate stutter and endearing affection for the American rock band Metallica.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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The film is a Hulu release, continuing the rather unfortunate trend of comedy no longer being the box office powerhouse it once was.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Early warnings were dismissed before, with catastrophic consequences.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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For a community already grappling with a $24 million budget deficit this year, the financial consequences of an additional $100 million debt are beyond catastrophic.—
John Gates,
Denver Post,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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