to destroy
557
1.7
- verb
- /dɪˈstroɪ/
- Informal
:
aplastar
- He was determined to destroy his rivals in the final round of the competition.
- destroy the competition
- destroy the enemy
- destroy the army
We were, we were destroyed by the Business School team.
- We were, we were destroyed by the Business School team.
- I love Donkey because if you watch his stuff, he destroys video game reviewers.
- She was just getting destroyed by You're like, yeah, why?
- Destroyed Ben Shapiro, destroys the libs, destroyed.
Examples
-
I am in charge of of who we destroy first on their team.
-
All we had accomplished was to destroy a naive man without doing ourselves any good.
Fiction book (1993) -
Come any closer and I will destroy you.
-
Who cares what they mean or stand for: their primary objective is to destroy the competition.
Academic text (1999) -
You said we would destroy the Avengers, make a better world.
-
Countless other communities have been destroyed by natural disasters, but they have recovered much more quickly.
Academic text (2011) -
Both Iran and al-Qaeda seek not just to dominate Israel but to destroy it and control the Palestinians.
Academic text (2008) -
And JSOC has secretly destroyed more terrorist training camps than the rest of the United States' forces combined.
-
Sherman's position was clear: destroying the South's economic resources and sapping its morale was militarily necessary.
Academic text (2008) -
And assign two legions to intercept and destroy Spartacus at the city of Metapontum!
Synonyms
932
2.1
To beat someone in a game, fight, or contest
354
3.4
Remove someone or something from a competition so they are no longer in it
221
4.9
To destroy something greatly or make people feel deeply shocked and sad
109
7.2
Beat someone or something completely in a conflict
72
5.1
To make someone's hopes, confidence, or plans fail completely
63
7.5
To destroy completely, often killing many people
53
9.9
To hurt or defeat someone very badly, often by hitting them
46
3.4
To remove someone or something from a competition by defeating them
15
7.6
To destroy something completely so nothing is left
14
7.5
To beat an opponent by a large amount in a game or contest
11
4.1
To completely destroy something, often hopes or plans
10
6.9
Tear something into many pieces or say very bad things about it
8
3.7
Defeat an opponent completely and easily
8
7.5
To beat someone completely in a game or contest
8
7.7
To beat someone completely in a game or fight
6
4.5
Beat someone completely in a game or contest
1
6.8
To defeat someone completely in a contest
1
8.8
To beat someone badly in a game or fight
To defeat someone completely in a contest or argument
To beat other teams or companies by a lot
Beat someone badly in a game or fight
Compounds
- Archaic
2
8.9
A military operation where soldiers move through an area to find and attack enemy fighters
- Offensive
An online joke challenge telling people to have or avoid sex during December
How Defeated
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word destroy can also mean to defeat someone completely, and it keeps the same idea: de- 'away' plus stru- 'build' — as if you 'un-build' their position or strength so they cannot recover. That's why to destroy an opponent is to beat them completely and leave them humiliated.