Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You’re also a gay actor portraying someone who, at the time, would have torpedoed his career by coming out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
His condemnation of the Nuremberg trials and opposition to military voting, in particular, may have torpedoed his chances for the Republican nomination in 1948.
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2023
The rate hikes have torpedoed activity in the housing sector, and Wednesday's data from the National Association of Home Builders reinforced that.
From Reuters ● Oct. 18, 2022
The United States stopped short of imposing a mandatory seven-day quarantine on arrivals, which many travelers said would have torpedoed their plans.
From New York Times ● Dec. 2, 2021
"The Germans have torpedoed an English passenger ship, the Arabic; coming this way, too."
From One of Ours by Willa Sibert Cather
