destroyer

noun

de·​stroy·​er di-ˈstrȯi(-ə)r How to pronounce destroyer (audio)
dē-
1
: one that destroys
2
: a small fast warship used especially to support larger vessels and usually armed with guns, depth charges, torpedoes, and often guided missiles

Examples of destroyer in a Sentence

The pamphlet describes alcohol as a destroyer of families.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force JS Kaga: Kure, Japan The Kaga, a helicopter destroyer undergoing conversion into Japan's first aircraft carrier since World War II, remained in Kure, a city southwest of Japan's main island of Honshu, according to a photograph captured by a ship spotter on Friday. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025 In The Visitor, LaBruce views the titular character (played by drag and burlesque star Bishop Black) not as a destroyer of the British family but as a revealer of all the energy suppressed by their bourgeois, western life. P.e. Moskowitz, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025 The Navy says the carrier arrived on Sunday and was accompanied by the cruiser USS Princeton and destroyer USS Sterett, both which are homeported in San Diego, and by the destroyer USS William P. Lawrence, which is ported in Pearl Harbor. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025 Early on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, the destroyer USS Ward was patrolling the waters around the entrance to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for destroyer

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of destroyer was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Destroyer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroyer. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

destroyer

noun
de·​stroy·​er di-ˈstrȯi(-ə)r How to pronounce destroyer (audio)
1
: one that destroys
2
: a small fast warship armed with guns, depth charges, torpedoes, and often guided missiles
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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