destroying

verb

present participle of destroy
1
as in ruining
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ravaging
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action wildfires destroyed thousands of acres in forests across the state

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killing
to deprive of life regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 destroying Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags moved toward beachside migrant camps last week, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart, according to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE and news agency EFE. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Several homeowners near Meta’s massive Newton County data center have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech company and others of tainting their water and destroying their rural way of life. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Phineas Gage, an American railroad construction foreman, suffered a traumatic brain injury when an iron rod was driven through his head, destroying much of his brain’s left frontal lobe. — USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 If this armbanded dama accuses me of destroying public property, the silkworms at my home will go hungry tonight. — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 But then the humans hunt them while destroying the forest, and all those generations-long grudges go out the window as the half-wolf Blacktail rises up as the Forest God’s dark champion. — Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026 Based on past research, Xu’s team of researchers was confident that destroying PTBP1 would allow astrocytes and similar support cells to develop. — Mike McRae 30, New Atlas, 31 Aug. 2026 Pumping at high speeds creates a suction vortex (upconing) that violently draws heavy sludge into the production stream, fouling piping and destroying surface pumps. — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 The tornado wreaked havoc in the village of 1,000 inhabitants, reducing homes to rubble and destroying numerous cars. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroying
  1. ruining
  2. ravaging
  3. killing
  4. wrecking
  5. devastating
  6. slaying
  7. demolishing
  8. shattering
Verb
  • The Horned Frogs crushed the Tar Heels 48-14 in last year’s season opener at Chapel Hill, ruining the college coaching debut of six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • So, are invasives ruining the state’s waters, or is the state on the way to becoming the everyman’s Amazon, embraced by the folks who can’t afford the jungle lodge experience?
    — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruining
Verb
  • But Vicente dismisses global heating as the main reason for the fires that are ravaging Europe.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The resumption of classes comes in the middle of a ravaging disease outbreak that is spreading rapidly.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravaging
Verb
  • The case has become a national cultural fixation and a social media spectacle, gripping and dividing spectators well beyond the Massachusetts courtroom where the 36-year-old mother is charged with killing her three young children.
    — Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • On the last day of February, the US and Israel launched a war on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and attacking targets across the country.
    — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • In a May interview on The Pivot Podcast, Davis blamed his opioid abuse for wrecking his home life.
    — Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The 1982-83 winter season, which coincided with a very strong El Niño, was historically destructive for California’s coast, with storms wrecking the Santa Monica and Seal Beach piers.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrecking
Verb
  • Over 150 people have been killed and hundreds more are missing after devastating flash floods swept through the Himalayan region along the Nepal-Tibet border, officials from both countries confirmed Wednesday.
    — Callum Sutherland, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • And that roads budget included the funding to take care of the existing roads, which would have been devastating ecologically and socially, because if these roads keep falling off the hillsides, then people can’t use them.
    — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • Jose’s siblings are reeling from the shock slaying so close to home.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In a long campaign wielding the sword, converting Venezuela to the dollar would stand as his biggest dragon-slaying victory ever.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of slaying
Verb
  • Mansfield Timberview signaled state-title ambitions by demolishing West Mesquite 69-7, while White Settlement Brewer knocked off Class 6A Haltom 31-14 to open Class 5A play.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026
  • While members of the public and the architectural community have criticized the Rike Tubes for altering the character of Tbilisi’s historic old town, some favored relocating them to a more suitable setting rather than demolishing them.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of demolishing
Verb
  • The video shows a customer walking out of Cinnaholic when the girls ride the scooter through the window, shattering the glass.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Wednesday, which was forecast to be the hottest day of the heat wave, brought record-shattering temperatures across the Southland.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of shattering

Browse Nearby Words

destroyers
destroying
destroys
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Destroying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroying. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All