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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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
Kenneth Bass, brother of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, has sued the city of Los Angeles after his home burned down in the destructive Palisades fire in 2025.
—
Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 10 June 2026
In his opening statement, a prosecutor told a federal jury on Wednesday that Jonathan Rinderknecht, driven by a desire for revenge against society, used a lighter to intentionally set what would eventually become the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Police said the crowd got violent and destructive, and five NYPD members were injured.
—Katie Houlis, CBS News, 9 June 2026
The case is unusual compared to the slew of lawsuits over the past decade against utility companies for negligence that caused destructive and deadly wildfires, according to legal and environmental experts CNN spoke with.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 10 June 2026
In his opening statement, a prosecutor told a federal jury on Wednesday that Jonathan Rinderknecht, driven by a desire for revenge against society, used a lighter to intentionally set what would eventually become the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Police said the crowd got violent and destructive, and five NYPD members were injured.
—Katie Houlis, CBS News, 9 June 2026
The case is unusual compared to the slew of lawsuits over the past decade against utility companies for negligence that caused destructive and deadly wildfires, according to legal and environmental experts CNN spoke with.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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San Antonio is looking to bounce back after falling short of a comeback in a devastating manner in Game 2.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
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Los Angeles – and particularly the community that surrounds Riviera, still in recovery mode from the devastating fires that ravaged Pacific Palisades in January, 2025 – also won, with this week-long reminder that this community is still awfully special, no matter what the haters say.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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Caitlin Clark was part of another disastrous collapse on Saturday night, as the Indiana Fever blew a double-digit lead to the New York Liberty.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
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At that pace, even a tiny micrometeoroid has the ability to impart a significant kinetic blow upon striking a spacecraft en route to the moon, with potentially disastrous results for the astronaut crew inside.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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The fatal bear encounter at Glacier National Park occurred in the same week that two hikers were injured in a bear attack at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, according to the park service.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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The Sheriff’s Office did not release any details about a motive or what might have led to the fatal shooting.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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There’s no question that this unfortunate cocktail of corruption, inefficiency, and simple incompetence is holding the country back.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
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Unfortunately, going cold turkey off a central nervous system depressant like GHB has some pretty unfortunate side-effects.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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In 2009, 36-year-old Diane Schuler drove her minivan in the wrong direction on the Taconic State Parkway, resulting in a catastrophic collision with an SUV that killed herself, her daughter, three nieces, and three people in the other vehicle.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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Anywhere some of those choices turn out to be catastrophic mistakes.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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