destroys

VERB

demolish, devastate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

consume crush damage dismantle end eradicate gut impair kill maim ravage raze ruin sabotage shatter smash 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.

To be sure, not every production stoppage destroys a well, and Iranian engineers have experience managing production under sanctions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

"All the players hate it, it just destroys it. You get kicks, bounces and it makes an absolute mess of the table," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

"That leaves a mark on society, it destroys human dignity and it normalises death," Zein al-Abdeen said.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

“We are living a nightmare that divides and destroys our communities.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

“In its application the familiarity it causes with suffering destroys in the breast of the officer all sympathetic feeling”: The words of the Auburn physician seem to me to express a timeless principle.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover