auto-destruct

[aw-toh-di-struhkt]

verb (used without object)

1. self-destruct.

Other Word Forms

• auto-destruction noun
• auto-destructive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of auto-destruct¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

It’s the only set of Instagram stories she’s saved from the platform’s 24-hour auto-destruct feature.

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This dream has an auto-destruct label in front of it.

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The malware also includes an auto-destruct feature that hackers can use to delete the malware and other software on infected devices, making them inoperable, he said.

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Does the state have the authority to compel Bornstein’s to include a special backdoor into your mind so that it can hack into your memories without triggering the auto-destruct feature?

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Now it seemed as if New York had set itself to auto-destruct.

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