1
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
they practically destroyed the safe in order to get at the money inside their poor scores on the final exam destroyed any chance they might have had to pass the course
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2
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
wildfires destroyed thousands of acres in forests across the state
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3
as in to kill
to deprive of life
regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of destroy
In 2002, the U. of C. destroyed Woodward Court, a dormitory and dining hall by midcentury superstar Eero Saarinen.
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Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
Advertisement The same applies to UCLA and USC, traitors who destroyed the Pac-12, and are now condemned to fighting for seventh place every year in the Big Ten.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Zayn, who is one of many stars associated with Roman Reigns and The OG Bloodline—which McIntyre has vowed to destroy piece by piece.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Israel has killed many of Hezbollah's top leaders and destroyed its headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destroy 
Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
Advertisement The same applies to UCLA and USC, traitors who destroyed the Pac-12, and are now condemned to fighting for seventh place every year in the Big Ten.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Zayn, who is one of many stars associated with Roman Reigns and The OG Bloodline—which McIntyre has vowed to destroy piece by piece.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Israel has killed many of Hezbollah's top leaders and destroyed its headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destroy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroy
Verb
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Over time, this can take away a company's competitive edge or even ruin its reputation with future talent.Subha Barry, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
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This increases the risk of electrical shocks, fire, and short circuits, which can ruin your holidays.Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Rather, there are various incidents (a fishing expedition gone awry, a mysterious object appears under the sand, a storm ravages the lighthouse).Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 14 Dec. 2024
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More news: 49ers vs Rams Expert Predictions for Thursday Night Football Week 15 The 49ers have been ravaged by injuries, and have some not-so-household names who could come up huge as the fantasy football playoffs get underway.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Since the war began, Israeli strikes have killed around 700 people tasked with protecting the trucks, according to local officials.Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
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The Rams got to the four-yard line, but penalties killed the threat and forced them to settle for a field goal early in the fourth quarter.Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Once, in a stadium since demolished, the Orioles won three world championships; the Baltimore Colts did the same.Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 13 Dec. 2024
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Subsequently demolished and rebuilt by Simo Design and Fischer Construction, the sleek wood and stone structure ultimately sold to Bay-Schuck in late 2019 for $11 million.Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Officials are assessing damage after Cyclone Chido devastated the island of Mayotte over the weekend.Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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The booth was directly across the street from MacArthur Park, the epicenter of a drug epidemic that has devastated the Westlake neighborhood.Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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David slayed the giant with a slingshot; Esther by her cunning saved her people.Gwen Faulkenberry, arkansasonline.com, 12 Dec. 2024
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The famous mother-daughter duo slayed in coordinating looks for both the 2019 premiere of The Lion King as well as the Mufasa: The Lion King 2024 premiere.Angel Saunders, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The star, who suffered a horrific snowplow accident on New Year’s Day nearly two years ago that shattered 38 bones, discussed his career and more in a wide-ranging on-stage appearance at Culture Square in the second-largest Saudi city’s old town Al-Balad.Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
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Pushpa 2 – The Rule, which is shattering records both at home and globally.Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 8 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group most immediately responsible for Assad’s overthrow, has announced that victory is not a license to wreck the institutions of the state, nor to initiate a wave of retribution against Alawites in general.Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
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This couldn’t be further from the truth—especially the part about Trump’s corruption and self-dealing being no different from the norm—but Biden is doing the work of people who want to wreck the best aspects of America’s democratic ethos.Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroy. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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