destroy

[dih-stroi] / dɪˈstrɔɪ /

VERB

demolish, devastate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

consume crush damage dismantle end eradicate gut impair kill maim ravage raze ruin sabotage shatter smash smash-up wipe out wreck

STRONG

abort annihilate annul axe butcher cream deface desolate despoil dispatch erase exterminate extinguish extirpate level liquidate mar maraud mutilate nuke nullify overturn quash quell ravish slay suppress torpedo total trash vaporize waste wax zap

WEAK

blot out break down lay waste snuff out spoliate stamp out swallow up tear down

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aid assist bear begin build construct create fix give birth help lose mend repair start

STRONG

improve keep preserve retain save validate

WEAK

restore

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

What are the three emotional mistakes that destroy accounts?

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Should the chemical spread, it could cause an environmental disaster, destroy the shoreline and possibly enter the water supply.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

Vulgar, venal creatures like him are not capable of creating anything of beauty or artistic value; they can only destroy.

From Salon • May 23, 2026

Early senolytic drugs such as dasatinib, quercetin, and fisetin were developed to destroy senescent cells by disrupting the survival pathways that keep them alive.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2026

If I felt like everyone was tiptoeing around me, I’d probably try to destroy them in video games too.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Vocabulary lists containing destroy

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Workshop 2, Part 1

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