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
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
Examples 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
But the Red Sox destroyed and ended their relationship with their only true power hitter and proven winner for a player who, though an undeniably excellent addition, was here for 117 total games.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
In Altadena, the Eaton Fire alone destroyed more than 9,000 buildings.
—Sarah Alegre, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Sitting on the among the world’s largest deposits of natural gas and oil, Iran doesn’t need nuclear energy, but Khamenei covets an atomic weapon in his war against the West (particularly the United States) and for his demented dream to destroy our ally Israel.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
The fires collectively burned nearly 40,000 acres and destroyed more than 16,000 structures.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for destroy
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Cite this Entry
“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroy. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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