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
The Palisades and Eaton fires burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed at least 12,000 buildings.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Many of the early hires were believed to be young tech engineers with little to no government experience, prompting criticism from Democrats and unions that critical government services and systems would be cut or destroyed.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Helicopters dumped water over a burning forest in South Korea Thursday as fire crews struggled to contain the country's worst-ever wildfires, which have killed 28 people, forced at least 37,800 to flee their homes and destroyed thousands of structures and vehicles.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Mar. 2025
Af Klint edited her own notebooks later in life, rewriting or destroying entire passages and exorcising biographical details.
—Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
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Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Many of the early hires were believed to be young tech engineers with little to no government experience, prompting criticism from Democrats and unions that critical government services and systems would be cut or destroyed.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Helicopters dumped water over a burning forest in South Korea Thursday as fire crews struggled to contain the country's worst-ever wildfires, which have killed 28 people, forced at least 37,800 to flee their homes and destroyed thousands of structures and vehicles.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Mar. 2025
Af Klint edited her own notebooks later in life, rewriting or destroying entire passages and exorcising biographical details.
—Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destroy
Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroy. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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