auto-destruct
Americanverb (used without object)
Other Word Forms
- auto-destruction noun
- auto-destructive adjective
Etymology
Origin of auto-destruct
First recorded in 1970–75
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.
It’s the only set of Instagram stories she’s saved from the platform’s 24-hour auto-destruct feature.
From Slate • Jul. 9, 2018
This dream has an auto-destruct label in front of it.
From Salon • Jun. 27, 2018
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?
From Slate • Feb. 29, 2016
Plug that Mobius strength-of-schedule strip into college football’s B.C.S. computer, and you could set off its auto-destruct function.
From New York Times • Sep. 24, 2010
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
