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self-destruction
noun
self-de·struc·tion
ˌself-di-ˈstrək-shən
: destruction of oneself
especially
: suicide
Examples of self-destruction in a Sentence
the controversy over self-destruction accomplished with the assistance of a physician or other person
Recent Examples on the Web
The mental darkness attacking DEI leads, ultimately, to self-destruction.
—Wonder Drake, Baltimore Sun, 28 Apr. 2024
There should be a sense of wounding loss in the disintegration — the self-destruction, even — of their small, frail family.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 May 2024
Her emergence as a writer evolves at the same time and takes the narrator on a journey of addiction, self-destruction and ultimately survival that finally comes in the shape of love and motherhood.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024
There is a perverse tendency, in such situations, to treat the artist’s act of self-destruction as somehow a final artistic flourish.
—Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2024
Vain, often drunk, desperate to get a leg up, the title character weaves in and out of humiliating scenarios, scraping by with a sense of self-inflation to match his appetite for self-destruction.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
In that attempt, the Starship failed, as did SpaceX’s self-destruction system.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024
One of those benefits, strangely enough, seems to be programmed self-destruction.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
Across its four previous episodes, the show has examined its protagonists’ confusion, self-destruction, and despair, creating an intimate portrait of how geographic rootlessness can yield paralyzing melancholy.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-destruction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1586, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of self-destruction was
circa 1586
Dictionary Entries Near self-destruction
Cite this Entry
“Self-destruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-destruction. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
self-destruction
noun
self-de·struc·tion
ˌself-di-ˈstrək-shən
: destruction of oneself
especially
: suicide sense 1
self-destructive
adjective
-ˈstrək-tiv
Medical Definition
self-destruction
noun
self-de·struc·tion
-di-ˈstrək-shən
: destruction of oneself
especially
: suicide
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