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Synonyms
de·stroy (dĭ-stroí)

[Middle English destroien, from Old French destruire, from Vulgar Latin* dēstrūgere, back-formation from Latin dēstrūctus past participle of dēstruere, to destroy, dē-, de-, + struere, to pile up.]

verb: -stroyed, -stroy·ing, -stroys. 

transitive verb 

  1. To ruin completely; spoil: The ancient manuscripts were destroyed by fire.
  2. To tear down or break up; demolish. See synonyms at ruin
  3. To do away with; put an end to: “In crowded populations, poverty destroys the possibility of cleanliness” (George Bernard Shaw)
  4. To kill: destroy a rabid dog.
  5. To subdue or defeat completely; crush: The rebel forces were destroyed in battle.
  6. To render useless or ineffective: destroyed the testimony of the prosecution's chief witness.

intransitive verb 

To be destructive; cause destruction: “Too much money destroys as surely as too little” (John Simon)