A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
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 unprecedented decision last year, a crucial summary of the Global Environment Outlook, a flagship UN scientific report, was torpedoed as nations rowed over fossil fuels.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
Less than a year ago, the regents torpedoed a plan by the Big Ten Conference to spin off its assets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Just five years ago, prolonged closures during the pandemic torpedoed foot traffic to malls that were already reeling from department-store closures and anxieties over the rise of online shopping.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Trade talks broke down between Canada and the US last month, with both sides accusing the other of last-minute demands that torpedoed a tentative agreement.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
I didn’t have time to react, so each pan torpedoed into the blue water and, like a depth charge, held on for a moment before blowing up in my face.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
