Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even Moore acknowledged the flub that had torpedoed his team’s chances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The minister rejected the idea as a "lazy compromise", leading CDU lawmaker Norbert Roettgen to fume that Pistorius had "torpedoed an important bill".
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025
But Lewis also suggested that investor concerns about the freight market had torpedoed efforts to find a buyer for Convoy and keep the company intact.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 19, 2023
Mr Lynch said the RDG had "torpedoed" the talks aimed at ending the long-running dispute because agreement would have prohibited further industrial action.
From BBC ● May 12, 2023
Where was the Russian submarine that had torpedoed the ship?
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
