as in ruined
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1
as in demolished
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 ravaged
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 killed
to deprive of life
regrettably, the veterinarian was forced to destroy the injured horse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of destroyed
Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
The 24 staff members in Ruiz Verduzco’s office are tasked with assisting victims and their families, establishing programs in communities destroyed by violence and drumming up financial support.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The wildfires burning tens of thousands of acres in the South have destroyed homes, prompted evacuations and closed major roads.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Israel said days before a ceasefire took effect on April 8 that its airstrikes had destroyed 70% of Iran's steel production capacity while also hitting petrochemical facilities and transport infrastructure.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Settlements typically require plaintiffs to sign confidentiality agreements, and corporate documents obtained through discovery have to be returned to State Farm or destroyed.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
The original Buddhas’ hands were destroyed centuries ago in an earlier act of iconoclasm; Nguyen has created two monumental steel hands that float slightly away from the sandstone limbs, supported by tall rods.
—Benjamin Sutton, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
They were likely destroyed with easy-to-buy explosives.
—Thad Moore, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The son of a minor industrialist in Karachi, Naqvi studied at a British-style grammar school and then the London School of Economics, before working at Amex and Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm that would later be destroyed in the Enron scandal.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
The 24 staff members in Ruiz Verduzco’s office are tasked with assisting victims and their families, establishing programs in communities destroyed by violence and drumming up financial support.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The wildfires burning tens of thousands of acres in the South have destroyed homes, prompted evacuations and closed major roads.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Israel said days before a ceasefire took effect on April 8 that its airstrikes had destroyed 70% of Iran's steel production capacity while also hitting petrochemical facilities and transport infrastructure.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Settlements typically require plaintiffs to sign confidentiality agreements, and corporate documents obtained through discovery have to be returned to State Farm or destroyed.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
The original Buddhas’ hands were destroyed centuries ago in an earlier act of iconoclasm; Nguyen has created two monumental steel hands that float slightly away from the sandstone limbs, supported by tall rods.
—Benjamin Sutton, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
They were likely destroyed with easy-to-buy explosives.
—Thad Moore, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The son of a minor industrialist in Karachi, Naqvi studied at a British-style grammar school and then the London School of Economics, before working at Amex and Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm that would later be destroyed in the Enron scandal.
—Hettie O'Brien, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroyed
Adjective
-
His choices allow the viewer to drink in the intimate details of the ruined world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Manchester City await, a team Chelsea have not beaten for five years and who demolished them 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the league just two weeks ago.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
At the facility, officials found several bodies in hazardous conditions inside the building that was later condemned and demolished by federal environmental regulators as a toxic waste site.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An offense built on length has been ravaged by injuries and some sort of affliction that has the Mets regularly hitting the ball into the ground instead of in the air.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In the years since, the cartel's two warring factions have ravaged the northern Mexican state in their struggle for territorial control.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Berry was taken from a Fort Lauderdale bowling alley, killed and dumped in a Davie canal.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In recent days, refugees have begun returning to wrecked villages and towns.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The firefighters took three injured people out of the wrecked car.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
She was spurred in part by the election of Kurt Waldheim as president of Austria in 1986; revelations of his Nazi past shattered the myth that the country had been an innocent victim of Hitler.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Bullets shattered a glass refrigerator door behind Marquise, who fell to the ground right next to the store’s counter.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two young Alabama siblings are dead following an early morning crash, leaving their mother devastated at the sudden loss.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Celeste’s family was overwhelmed and devastated to hear details of the allegations against d4vd during his arraignment on Monday, their attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, told CNN.—
Andi Babineau,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
She was questioned in a legal fight between the camp operators and families of victims who have filed lawsuits and want the camp to preserve damaged areas as evidence.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Its Peptide-132 Hair Bonding Oil is a lightweight fix that helps strengthen damaged bonds, smooth frizz, temporarily seal split ends, and add glossy shine—without weighing hair down.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destroyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroyed. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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