destroyed; destroying; destroys
1
: to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of : damage beyond repair
destroyed the files
Their reputation was destroyed.
A disease that destroys the body's ability to fight off illness.
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
d
informal
: to defeat soundly
destroyed the other team 10-1
: 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 Trinity fire, which started May 1 in Phelan, burned 19 acres with no structures damaged, though the blaze destroyed an unknown number of Joshua trees.
—Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
That’s especially true after Boston destroyed Philadelphia in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 May 2026
This man and his cronies are almost singlehandedly destroying America.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
The cost of action The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last year, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for destroy
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Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
That’s especially true after Boston destroyed Philadelphia in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 May 2026
This man and his cronies are almost singlehandedly destroying America.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
The cost of action The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last year, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 2 May 2026
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 May. 2026.
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