destroyed; destroying; destroys
1
: to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of
destroyed the files
also
: to ruin as if by tearing to shreds
their reputation was destroyed
a disease that destroys the body's ability to fight off illness
… destroyed any hope of a return to past crackdowns … —
George Brock
George Brock 2
a
: to put out of existence : kill
destroy an injured horse
b
: neutralize
the moon destroys the light of the stars
c
: annihilate, vanquish
… marines have been trained to close with and destroy the enemy. That's what we do.—Stephen W. Larose
Stephen W. Larose
: to cause ruin or destruction
It is proverbially easier to destroy than to construct …—T. S. Eliot
T. S. EliotSynonyms
Examples of destroy in a Sentence
Eventually our problems with money destroyed our marriage.
All the files were deliberately destroyed.
The disease destroys the body's ability to fight off illness.
The bomb blast destroyed the village.
The dog had to be destroyed since its owner could not prevent it from attacking people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Homes, roads and community spaces in the path of Helene have been destroyed.
—Patricia McIlreavy, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The protagonist Skif goes to Chernobyl on a mission to imbue the artifact left by the anomaly that destroyed his home with residual energy that radiates throughout the Zone.
—Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Kristallnacht translates as Night of Broken Glass, a reference to the thousands of shops, businesses and synagogues destroyed by the Nazis across the two nights in November 1938.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
There were no fatalities but two people were seriously injured with severe burns from a powerful explosion Tuesday night that destroyed several condominiums and heavily damaged others in Orion Township, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destroy 
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.
Patricia McIlreavy, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The protagonist Skif goes to Chernobyl on a mission to imbue the artifact left by the anomaly that destroyed his home with residual energy that radiates throughout the Zone.
—Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Kristallnacht translates as Night of Broken Glass, a reference to the thousands of shops, businesses and synagogues destroyed by the Nazis across the two nights in November 1938.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
There were no fatalities but two people were seriously injured with severe burns from a powerful explosion Tuesday night that destroyed several condominiums and heavily damaged others in Orion Township, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destroy
Articles Related to destroy
Dictionary Entries Near destroy
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroy. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share