destroyed 1 of 2

destroyed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of destroy
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of destroyed
Verb
Climate change was considered a factor in the December 2021 wildfire that destroyed Somauroo's home, after the county's suit was originally filed. — Lindsay Whitehurst, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026 Climate change was considered a factor in the 2021 Marshall Fire that destroyed Somauroo’s home, after the county's suit was originally filed. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 Dowd Hall shows how the ASWPL destroyed the notion of white Southern chivalry, as the women flatly denied that lynchings were because of the rapes of white women. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 In the wake of an independent report, the Los Angeles Fire Department acknowledged missteps leading up to the 2025 Palisades fire and in its initial response to the blaze, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 The blazes destroyed more than 16,250 homes and commercial buildings. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026 Saudi Arabia said earlier this month that its air defenses destroyed a Houthi drone headed for the holy city of Mecca, a claim the group denied. — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026 Co-created by Craig Mazin and the game’s Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us, based on the award-winning Naughty Dog video game, takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2026 Even as his cameras are repeatedly damaged or destroyed, Burnat refuses to stop documenting the resistance. — Drew Paul, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destroyed
Adjective
  • Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • The site includes four buildings that will possibly be demolished, if the plan is approved by the city.
    — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
  • After more than 80 years, crews this week demolished a historic bridge that carried travelers across the Mississippi River between Missouri and downstate Illinois.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Bangkok Kunsthalle, in Chinatown, opened in 2024 in a former academic publishing house that was ravaged by a fire 25 years ago; the mazelike interior, some of it still charred, is a surprisingly compelling stage for art.
    — Tony Perrottet, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • By then, fire had ravaged the community; the report suggests that incident commanders were unaware of the devastation.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Kabul and the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan said the strikes in Helmand and Kunar provinces had killed at least 10 civilians, most of them children.
    — MUNIR AHMED, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But is any of that enough when a Western Union telegram brings news of Aron’s death, killed in a battle in France?
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Police and firefighters responding to the area discovered the wrecked vehicle along the hillside.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Hundreds of clay jars known as amphorae were discovered inside the wrecked ship, alongside lead anchor stocks and other artifacts, police said.
    — Isabella Colletta, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • When Lee is so clearly shattered, sitting at home in silence and in darkness?
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This trust, known as the presumption of regularity, has been shattered, and a growing number of judges have expressed frustration and alarm.
    — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Healthcare workers who’d turned up for the event described patients choosing between affording medication or food, or how they themselves had been financially devastated by a medical crisis.
    — Kate Wells, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Ji-hye’s punishment Ji-hye is devastated at the arrest of her son, and furiously tries to confess to the crime herself.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The drones set off fires and damaged buildings in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine overnight, authorities said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Finally, don’t use disinfecting wipes on raw wood or furniture with an uneven or damaged finish.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Destroyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destroyed. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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