destructive
adjective
de·struc·tive
di-ˈstrək-tiv 
1
: causing destruction : ruinous
destructive storm
2
: designed or tending to hurt or destroy
destructive criticism
destructively
adverb
destructiveness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of destructive in a Sentence
It was one of the most destructive storms in recent memory.
She argued that the law was destructive of personal liberties.
The school is concerned about the destructive behavior of a few students.
Recent Examples on the Web
This Message Will Self-Destruct The story begins in the late 1960s, when a physics graduate student named Stephen Wiesner started thinking about the destructive nature of measurement in quantum theory.
—
Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2024
One of the most destructive twisters touched down Saturday in Valley View, Texas, about 60 miles northwest of Dallas, causing seven deaths, including two children from the same family, officials said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 28 May 2024
The United States has come under an onslaught of destructive storms in the past week, with at least a few reports of tornadoes each day.
—Johnny Diaz, New York Times, 26 May 2024
In recent years, the public health community has zeroed in on housing’s effects in particular, as costs have shot up and evidence has mounted about the destructive effects of housing instability.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Well, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for destructive 
Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2024
One of the most destructive twisters touched down Saturday in Valley View, Texas, about 60 miles northwest of Dallas, causing seven deaths, including two children from the same family, officials said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 28 May 2024
The United States has come under an onslaught of destructive storms in the past week, with at least a few reports of tornadoes each day.
—Johnny Diaz, New York Times, 26 May 2024
In recent years, the public health community has zeroed in on housing’s effects in particular, as costs have shot up and evidence has mounted about the destructive effects of housing instability.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Well, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for destructive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'destructive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near destructive
Cite this Entry
“Destructive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destructive. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
destructive
adjective
de·struc·tive
di-ˈstrək-tiv
1
: causing destruction : ruinous
a destructive storm
2
: designed or tending to hurt or destroy
destructive criticism
destructively
adverb
destructiveness
noun
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