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.

See Examples For:

destroys

Wotan confesses his predicament to Brünnhilde, then destroys the daughter who has understood him too well.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

"It destroys people's confidence not only in the railways but institutions in general," Camas warns.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

Zoe nearly destroys Rushville to save herself, while John almost violates his principles to seize the ring from Hal, per the Guardians’ orders, and take out Zoe.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Conservationists argued it destroys habitat for rare species and reduces the forests’ ecological value.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

But what happens in nature is not allowed to happen in the modern, chemical-drenched world, where spraying destroys not only the insects but their principal enemy, the birds.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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