1
as in devastation
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the violent storm resulted in the destruction of their tree house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life
alcohol will be her destruction if we don't intervene to help her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of destruction
Blending expert interviews, archive material, and imagery of environmental destruction and factory labor, the film follows a loose three-act framework.
—
Lise Pedersen, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
Both caused enough destruction to prompt people to abandon their properties and relocate, although many vowed to rebuild.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
Brazil has immense amounts of arable and potentially arable land, much of which, in today’s environmentally conscious world, will thankfully come from the conversion of sub-par pastureland rather than the destruction of rainforest.
—Sal Gilbertie, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
The whole incident sets off the unicorn’s mother and father to look for it, laying destruction to anybody in its path.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destruction
Lise Pedersen, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
Both caused enough destruction to prompt people to abandon their properties and relocate, although many vowed to rebuild.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
Brazil has immense amounts of arable and potentially arable land, much of which, in today’s environmentally conscious world, will thankfully come from the conversion of sub-par pastureland rather than the destruction of rainforest.
—Sal Gilbertie, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
The whole incident sets off the unicorn’s mother and father to look for it, laying destruction to anybody in its path.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destruction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destruction
Noun
-
Conventional wisdom attributes Cromwell’s downfall to his role in organizing the disastrous match.—
Meilan Solly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 Mar. 2025
-
After analyzing unsolved true crimes leads to massive popularity followed by a controversial downfall, Woo Sang attempts to reclaim his crown by tracking the notorious Hemline Serial Killer in real time — only to discover the killer has been watching his broadcast.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Scott Bassett Orlando Trump’s policies are a money-grab Donald Trump’s trade war is causing havoc in the markets as prices rise due to insane tariffs on our closest neighbors.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Inevitably, leaders ignore the subtle signals of havoc and become overwhelmed when major disruptions inevitably occur.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The sense of ruination experienced by the organizers of those art spaces was something familiar to Quraiqi, who wrote on his Instagram this year that Israeli forces had destroyed his studio.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Read: The mysterious, meteoric rise of Shein In the past several years, cultural awareness has grown about the reality of the fast-fashion business model, which relies on paying factory workers shockingly low wages and takes a multifaceted approach to furthering the ruination of the planet.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Parishioners are fighting its demolition 125-year-old CT church reportedly cracked by earthquake.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2025
-
While there’s still inventive shrapnel worth excavating from the demolition zone, so much of modern phonk feels optimized to be indistinguishable so gymgoers and gamers can hit play and cede control, racking up streams endlessly.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
His cause of death is currently undetermined, as an autopsy has not been completed.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Finn is hardly the first to cast doubt on the official narrative of Morrison’s death.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Two mountain lion cubs have been photographed in Michigan, a state where the big cats were hunted to near extinction and their young haven’t been seen in the wild in over 100 years.—
Rhiannon Saegert,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2025
-
This percentage is significantly lower than the marine extinction rate during the same period, which saw about 80 percent of life wiped out.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
His radicalization from the confines of his own bedroom is ultimately the family’s undoing: online, the rise of incel culture and misogyny have bred young men — and in this case, children — capable of committing horrendous acts of violence.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Otherwise, this war may lead to the undoing of Lebanon and its increasingly rare, if flawed model of societal diversity—with even greater regional aftershocks.—
Maha Yahya,
Foreign Affairs,
20 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
An 11-3 Opening Day loss in Baltimore didn’t define the Angels last year.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
As if the Israeli people’s losses from October 7th are not grievous enough, their fears for the hostages not haunting enough, and the miseries of the Gazans not shaming enough, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is bringing his country back to war.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Destruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destruction. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share