destroy
verb (used with object)
to reduce (an object) to useless fragments, a useless form, or remains, as by rending, burning, or dissolving; injure beyond repair or renewal; demolish; ruin; annihilate.
destroyed
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past participleof destroy.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof destroy.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
destroyverb (used with object)to reduce (an object) to useless fragments, a useless form, or remains, as by rending, burning, or dissolving; injure beyond repair or renewal; demolish; ruin; annihilate.
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.
In an update on Friday evening, Division 3 Fire Chief Mark Backoff said that six homes had either been damaged or destroyed by the Norte Fire, and one firefighter had been injured from heat exhaustion.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The second can happen much later, hundreds or even thousands of days after the star is initially destroyed.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
"If the forest is destroyed, how are we going to live?" they shout, their faces adorned with paint.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
After Nazi bombs destroyed the stairwell in the Shulevitzes’ apartment building in Warsaw, the only way to reach the ground floor was by crossing boards placed across collapsed parts of the staircase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The Japanese destroyed or damaged three navy cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer, leading our nation into World War II. One hundred eighty-eight US aircraft were destroyed.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
