DESTROY Synonyms: 203 Similar and Opposite Words

destroy

verb

di-ˈstrȯi

Definition of destroy

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to ravage

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action wildfires destroyed thousands of acres in forests across the state

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to kill

to deprive of life regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 destroy After the killing, the men allegedly attempted to destroy evidence by setting the Camry on fire near Southwest 248th Street and 157th Avenue. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 But by 1965, when Johnson convened a committee to study the issue, half of those buildings had been either destroyed or damaged beyond repair. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026 Another fire that burned at the same time in the city of Altadena, in Los Angeles County, killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and businesses. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 But that basic principle, the book suggests, does not make standing up to those who would destroy a community easy. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for destroy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroy

Verb

Burdick seemed to have drawn directly from McCarthy’s experience, the hopelessness of fighting with his father over a world his father had already ruined, the surrender to indulgence and mindless violence because…why not?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Each room is also outfitted with a Yale smart lock, which means there’s no room for that horrible feeling of losing a room key to ruin your vacation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruin

Verb

Swarms of police officers and ambulances racing to the grounds of a school ravaged by gunfire has become a familiar scene, and one that represents only the beginning of incalculable pain, loss and trauma.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
For more than 50 years, the house remained vacant, was ravaged by fire, and fell into complete disrepair.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of ravage

Verb

Hundreds of Palestinians have been attacked and a few have been killed this olive harvest alone, which started in late September, rights groups have said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Police were investigating what caused the pickup truck to barrel through a soccer field, killing a man and a child.

— Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of kill

Verb

The building’s owner previously told The Star the building would not be demolished and that it could be redeveloped.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
The 18-year-old female elephant got loose from her handler outside her enclosure, then went on the run, demolishing the door of a saloon on North Avenue, smashing in the window of another and walking through the fence around a vacant lot.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

Non-consensually posted intimate images can devastate women – and beget male bonding.

— Brittany Luse, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026
That pad, now dubbed LC-36A, was devastated by a massive explosion during a test back in May, but construction crews have worked 24/7 to try and build it back to launch capability before the end of the year.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of devastate

Verb

Overwhelmed police forces often failed to intervene as thousands of vandals, many wearing masks and caps that hid their faces, shattered storefront windows and walked off with merchandise.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
When Ida suddenly disappears, Sine’s world is shattered, yet her lost freedom, old friends, and acting career unexpectedly return.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of shatter

Verb

Just as Bryan’s own ascent began, alcoholism almost wrecked his fellow Oklahoma heroes, Turnpike Troubadours.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Some people make money, some people use the buzz to shore up a brand, and some people get their lives wrecked, but who falls into this last category comes down to bad luck more than to justice.

— B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of wreck

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de-stressing

destroy

destroyed

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“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroy. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of destroy

verb

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