Synonyms for destroy
dɪˈstrɔɪde·stroy

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:3.0 / 11 votes

1. destroyverb

   Synonyms:
   ruin, annihilate, waste, demolish, kill

   Antonyms:
   repair, make, restore

2. destroyverb

   To cause destruction.

   Hooligans destroy unprovoked

   Synonyms:
   annihilate, kill, waste, ruin, demolish

   Antonyms:
   restore, repair, make

3. destroyverb

   To neutralize, undo a property or condition.

   Smoking destroys the natural subtlety of the palate

   Synonyms:
   ruin, waste, annihilate, demolish, kill

   Antonyms:
   restore, repair, make

4. destroyverb

   To put down or euthanize.

   Destroying a rabid dog is required by law.

   Synonyms:
   kill, waste, ruin, demolish, annihilate

   Antonyms:
   make, repair, restore

5. destroyverb

   To defeat soundly.

   Synonyms:
   demolish, annihilate, waste, kill, ruin

   Antonyms:
   restore, make, repair

6. destroyverb

   To remove data.

   The memory leak happened because we forgot to destroy the temporary lists.

   Synonyms:
   annihilate, waste, demolish, ruin, kill

   Antonyms:
   repair, restore, make

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. destroy

   Abolish, to do away with, bring absolutely to an end, especially as something hostile, hindering, or harmful, was formerly used of persons and material objects, a usage now obsolete except in poetry or highly figurative speech. Abolish is now used of institutions, customs, and conditions, especially those wide-spread and long existing; as, to abolish slavery, ignorance, intemperance, poverty. A building that is burned to the ground is said to be destroyed by fire. Annihilate, as a philosophical term, signifies to put absolutely out of existence. As far as our knowledge goes, matter is never annihilated, but only changes its form. Some believe that the wicked will be annihilated. Abolish is not said of laws. There we use repeal, abrogate, nullify, etc.: repeal by the enacting body, nullify by revolutionary proceedings; a later statute abrogates, without formally repealing, any earlier law with which it conflicts. An appellate court may reverse or set aside the decision of an inferior court. Overthrow may be used in either a good or a bad sense; suppress is commonly in a good, subvert always in a bad sense; as, to subvert our liberties; to suppress a rebellion. The law prohibits what may never have existed; it abolishes an existing evil. We abate a nuisance, terminate a controversy. Compare CANCEL; DEMOLISH; EXTERMINATE.

   Synonyms:
   abate, abolish, abrogate, annihilate, annul, end, end, eradicate, exterminate, extirpate, nullify, obliterate, overthrow, prohibit, remove, repeal, reverse, revoke, set aside, stamp out, subvert, supplant, suppress, terminate

   Antonyms:
   authorize, cherish, confirm, continue, enact, establish, institute, introduce, legalize, promote, reinstate, renew, repair, restore, revive, set up, support, sustain

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. destroy

   Synonyms:
   demolish, annihilate, subvert, ruin, overthrow, undo, waste, consume

   Antonyms:
   restore, reinstate, repair, fabricate, make, construct, create

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. destroy, destructverb

   do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

   "The fire destroyed the house"

   Synonyms:
   demolish, ruin, put down, destruct

2. destroy, ruinverb

   destroy completely; damage irreparably

   "You have ruined my car by pouring sugar in the tank!"; "The tears ruined her make-up"

   Synonyms:
   demolish, destruct, bankrupt, ruin, smash, deflower, break, put down

3. demolish, destroyverb

   defeat soundly

   "The home team demolished the visitors"

   Synonyms:
   put down, demolish, destruct, crush, ruin, pulverise, smash, pulverize

4. destroy, put downverb

   put (an animal) to death

   "The customs agents destroyed the dog that was found to be rabid"; "the sick cat had to be put down"

   Synonyms:
   bring down, enter, ruin, disgrace, record, put down, degrade, discharge, lay, drop, unload, repose, set down, land, take down, demolish, demean, drop off, get down, destruct, place down, write down

Matched Categories

1. • Kill

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. deallocationnoun

   delete

   Submitted by Src.shreyan on April 14, 2022  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. destroyverb

   Synonyms:
   demolish, overturn, overthrow, subvert, raze, ruin, throw down, pull down, break up, sap the foundations of

2. destroyverb

   Synonyms:
   annihilate, quench, put an end to, bring to nought

3. destroyverb

   Synonyms:
   waste, ravage, desolate, devastate, devour, lay waste, make desolate, swallow up, ravage with fire and sword

4. destroyverb

   Synonyms:
   extirpate, eradicate, uproot, kill, slay, extinguish, carry off, root out, grub up, pluck up by the roots, cut up root and branch, strike at the root of, give a death blow to, scatter to the winds

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. destroyverb

   Synonyms:
   annihilate, undo, demolish, raze, desolate, devour, sack, dismantle, eradicate, exterminate, ruin

   Antonyms:
   conserve, preserve, perpetuate, spare

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:5.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "destroy":

   destroying, destruction, destroyed, ruin, destroys, demolish, annihilate, devastate, obliterate, wreck, crush, undermine, spoil, dismantle

Suggested Resources

1. destroy

   Song lyrics by destroy -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by destroy on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to use destroy in a sentence?

1. Le Tran Lua:

   I immediately ran to my kitchen and grabbed a knife, i thought this was an invader who was trying to destroy our power plant and our city as well.

2. Bret Walker:

   You have to destroy the alibi, otherwise there is a reasonable doubt.

3. London Mayor Sadiq Khan:

   Terrorists seek to divide us and to destroy our way of life - here in London we will never let them succeed.

4. Ohio Gov. John Kasich:

   I would have a coalition of countries, including us, on the ground, beginning to degrade and destroy ISIS. Because as you begin to do it, that whole caliphate begins to fall apart in my judgment.

5. State Rep. Mike Johnson:

   They’ve never even been to this school, they literally are trolling the Internet looking for things to be offended by. They are on a search and destroy mission for all things Christian.