as in destruction
the act of destroying or damaging something deliberately so that it does not work correctly
Angry workers were responsible for the sabotage of the machines. Officials have not yet ruled out sabotage as a possible cause of the crash.
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1
as in to thwart
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2
as in to destroy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sabotage
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
The Jazz had already taken self-sabotage to a whole new level earlier in the season.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
The escalation of the satire is excellent too, especially as Monk’s attempts to sabotage himself are repeatedly embraced by publishers and Hollywood.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sabotage
Noun
My brother, who is 10 years older, his friends were these sort of tornado people who really had this predilection for self-sabotage.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
The Jazz had already taken self-sabotage to a whole new level earlier in the season.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
Brooklyn claimed that his family tried to sabotage his relationship with his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham, multiple times, citing their 2022 wedding and David's 50th birthday party in 2025.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
The escalation of the satire is excellent too, especially as Monk’s attempts to sabotage himself are repeatedly embraced by publishers and Hollywood.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sabotage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sabotage
Noun
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One chapter closes, another opens The destruction of several Russian Kamov Ka-52s using drones doesn’t signal the end of the attack helicopter by any means.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The pace of destruction was terrifying.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Frey unleashed his five-pitch arsenal, thwarting the Spartans most of the way.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Russia’s defense ministry said its paramilitary forces helped thwart a coup.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Thankfully, the Dark Sky movement is growing as more people become aware of the issue and learn about simple and cost-effective ways that can be embraced to reverse the course of destroying our night skies.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Radioactive clouds spread, causing panic as far away as Germany and Britain; millions of litres of milk were dumped; livestock was destroyed or banned from sale.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At least, there was a lot less wrecking.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The letter was about a 50-year-old who was frustrated that a 70-year-old friend didn’t pick up the phone when called.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Bianco grew visibly frustrated several times over the debate’s format and his opponents’ answers.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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Apparently, staff learned to wash their hands, but the roaches returned to ruin another inspector’s visit.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The real dinner bucked with tradition, opting for a mentalist over a comedian — not that Oz Pearlman got very far into his act before the secret service foiled an attempt on the President’s life — so Kimmel picked up the skewering duties.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2026
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Their murderous plot is foiled when two escaped prisoners and a guard crash the weekend.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That's what usually happens when the leaders wreck at Daytona and 'Dega.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Two cars were wrecked and two people suffered injuries in a crash on busy Irving Park Road in the neighborhood of the same name early Monday morning.—
Kris Habermehl,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sabotage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sabotage. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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