destroy

verb

de·​stroy di-ˈstrȯi How to pronounce destroy (audio)
dē-
destroyed; destroying; destroys

transitive verb

1
: to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of
destroyed the files
also : to ruin as if by tearing to shreds
their reputation was destroyed
a disease that destroys the body's ability to fight off illness
destroyed any hope of a return to past crackdowns … George Brock
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

intransitive verb

: 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 The walls of the air sacs can also be destroyed, leading to fewer and larger air sacs instead of many tiny ones and reducing the amount of gas exchange.6 Chronic bronchitis causes the lining of the airways to be constantly irritated and inflamed. Claire Gillespie, Health, 17 Mar. 2024 Early estimates say 85 structures were destroyed in Trimble County alone, but only two people were treated for minor injuries. Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 16 Mar. 2024 Fifty years ago the industry had been so thoroughly destroyed that there were only two distilleries left in Ireland. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2024 In Winchester, Indiana, an EF3 tornado destroyed 22 homes, and badly damaged 110 others. Dalia Faheid, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 By the end of the second century, early Christian theologians like St. Clement of Alexandria described two fires: one that destroys and one that sanctifies. Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 Puca is debating whether to give her daughter a sibling, and is not considering destroying or donating her embryos. Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Officials on Friday morning said at least 22 homes were possibly destroyed, with damage incurred to more than 100 structures. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024 The ruling quickly opened to the door to wide-ranging concerns among doctors and IVF patients that they could be held liable for destroying frozen embryos, either by accident or as part of the normal course of IVF treatment. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'destroy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French destroy-, destrui-, stem of destrure, from Vulgar Latin *destrugere, alteration of Latin destruere, from de- + struere to build — more at structure

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of destroy was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near destroy

Cite this Entry

“Destroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

destroy

verb
de·​stroy di-ˈstrȯi How to pronounce destroy (audio)
1
: to put an end to : do away with : ruin
2

More from Merriam-Webster on destroy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!