1
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
the destructive storm blew down trees all over town, and blew the roof off our neighbor's house
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2
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
technology used for destructive ends
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Recent Examples of destructive
Heathers delves into much darker territory, exploring the destructive consequences of bullying, peer pressure and revenge.
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Jane Lacroix, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
His incompetence and destructive decisions made the economic and social pain of the pandemic far worse.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
After the advent of nuclear weapons in the 1940s, at least one new country acquired the world’s most destructive arms every decade until the 2010s, when the streak ended.
—Uri Friedman, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2024
Tropical Storm Trami, known locally as Kristine, swept across the northeastern Philippines last week, inundating entire towns with severe flooding and triggering deadly landslides in what was the deadliest and most destructive storm to hit the archipelago so far this year.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destructive 
Jane Lacroix, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
His incompetence and destructive decisions made the economic and social pain of the pandemic far worse.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
After the advent of nuclear weapons in the 1940s, at least one new country acquired the world’s most destructive arms every decade until the 2010s, when the streak ended.
—Uri Friedman, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2024
Tropical Storm Trami, known locally as Kristine, swept across the northeastern Philippines last week, inundating entire towns with severe flooding and triggering deadly landslides in what was the deadliest and most destructive storm to hit the archipelago so far this year.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for destructive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destructive
Adjective
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Zabka details key inflection points between the duo such as a particular moment in Season 3, during which Miguel is recovering from a devastating injury.Andrés Buenahora, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
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The increasing frequency of extreme weather events, such as the tornadoes recently seen in Valencia, Spain, adds to the pressures, causing devastating floods and damaging critical infrastructure.Marianne Lehnis, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Biden’s refusal to exit the 2024 presidential race after a disastrous initial debate performance in June kicked off a whirlwind season that gave rise to Harris.Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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That unease burst into the open after Biden’s disastrous June debate performance against Trump.Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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All of the women were denied abortions despite facing fatal fetal diagnoses, life-threatening health risks or both.Bayliss Wagner, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
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The charges include abandonment of a person followed by death and supplying narcotics, as Payne had traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his fatal fall.Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Lucky 13 has proved unfortunate for those involved in making the ABC game show.Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024
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Equally unfortunate is the film’s narrative clumsiness, with a story that doesn’t earn its exhausting runtime.Tomris Laffly, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destructive. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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