self-destruction

American  

[self-di-struhk-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlf dɪˈstrʌk ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. the destruction or ruination of oneself or one's life.

2. suicide.

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self-destruction British  

noun

1. the act or an instance of self-destructing

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Etymology

Origin of self-destruction

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-destruction

We have written a bit about Mace and the self-destruction she’ll put herself through to satisfy an unhealthy need for camera time.

From Slate ● Jun. 13, 2026

And it ends with Sabotage, where discordant pianos and jump-scare strings soundtrack her self-destruction.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

In fact, the project, whose premise depended on sustaining a false reality for one unknowing star, inherently risked self-destruction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2026

Europe’s savage self-destruction reunited techne and themis: the technologies of the Industrial Revolution and the ideologies of the French Revolution.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

There are not yet any obvious signs of extraterrestrial intelligence and this makes us wonder whether civilizations like ours always rush implacably, headlong, toward self-destruction.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan