destroyer
Americannoun
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destroyers
plural
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a person or thing that destroys.
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a fast, relatively small, warship armed mainly with 5-inch (13-centimeter) guns.
noun
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a small fast lightly armoured but heavily armed warship
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a person or thing that destroys
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of destroyer
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English destroiere (compare Old French destruiere ); see destroy, -er 1
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Vocabulary lists containing destroyer
Example Sentences
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He said the eight sailors included "the Lincoln crew and sailors from the carrier airwing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons".
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Nearby were a Japanese Aegis destroyer, a South Korean tank-landing ship and a Canadian patrol submarine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
According to U.S. authorities, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer requires the equivalent of 2.3 tonnes of rare earth elements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
This motley pile, big enough to man a destroyer, is working together to literally support their sister’s audacious rise.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
Oppenheimer thought of a line from the ancient Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita, a dramatic moment in which the god Vishnu declares: “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.”
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
A joint venture between shipbuilder Fincantieri and defense company Leonardo signed a $4.21 billion deal to supply two destroyers to the Italian navy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
He said the eight sailors included "the Lincoln crew and sailors from the carrier airwing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons".
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Japanese surveillance has recorded Chinese destroyers passing through the strait near Amami-Oshima at least 10 times this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The Zumwalt class of naval destroyers was lauded for its “affordable and flexible design.”
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 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
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