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. EliotExamples 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
This is a major U-turn from Riot, after completely revamping the rewards system at the start of the year and being destroyed by fans for it.
—Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Lost in a sea of ash: When wildfire destroys a home — and a loved one’s urn — the search begins.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025
In desperation, Elisabeth conceives, and is viciously destroyed by, her own younger, more bankable doppelgänger.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
More than 48,000 Palestinians were killed in the conflict, according to Gaza health officials, and most of the buildings in the occupied Palestinian territory were either destroyed or damaged.
—Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
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Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Lost in a sea of ash: When wildfire destroys a home — and a loved one’s urn — the search begins.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025
In desperation, Elisabeth conceives, and is viciously destroyed by, her own younger, more bankable doppelgänger.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
More than 48,000 Palestinians were killed in the conflict, according to Gaza health officials, and most of the buildings in the occupied Palestinian territory were either destroyed or damaged.
—Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Articles Related to destroy
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroy. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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