How to Use destructive in a Sentence

destructive

adjective
Definition of destructivenext
Synonyms for destructivenext
  • The school is concerned about the destructive behavior of a few students.
  • It was one of the most destructive storms in recent memory.
  • She argued that the law was destructive of personal liberties.
  • Over roughly two hours, the horses wove a destructive path across some 6 miles of the city.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
  • So, there was all sorts of efforts to try and open these scrolls, most of which ended up being very, very destructive.
    — Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2024
  • An invasive, destructive pest has been found again in Cincinnati.
    — Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 25 Apr. 2024
  • It will be released in July, and has problem-solving features such as a polyurethane outsole to stand up to more destructive tricks.
    — Adrienne So, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024
  • But, as climate change becomes increasingly destructive, the need still outstrips the available care.
    — The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2024
  • French marigolds, in particular, release a substance from their roots that kills destructive nematodes.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2024
  • Now hurricane watchers are getting even more worried, given that ocean heat is what fuels the biggest, most destructive cyclones.
    — Matt Simon, WIRED, 2 May 2024
  • Take a moment and check in with yourself — have your feelings of insecurity driven you into a destructive mental rut?
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 May 2024
  • Scientists have said climate change has made the region much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make the weather more extreme, and wildfires more frequent and destructive.
    — CBS News, 24 July 2024
  • Ohtani, however, was ready as ever, capitalizing on his first-pitch discipline with yet another destructive display.
    — Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
  • The film, written with Jon Spaihts, picks up hours after the destructive events of the first film.
    — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024
  • As a result, the legacy in many ways is very destructive.
    — Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024
  • Their lives were ripped apart in one of the deadliest and most destructive wars of the 21st century.
    — Samar Abu Elouf Samar Abu Elouf, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2024
  • The men are dopey and destructive; the women clever and thwarted, with all the good lines and the truly depressing fates.
    — Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
  • The spilling of the tea propelled the dissolution of the bonds between Britain and her colonies, and led to seven years of destructive war.
    — The Editors, National Review, 16 Dec. 2023
  • As the eye moved inland, destructive winds shredded signs and rooftops.
    — Daniel Kozin, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2023
  • Given the history of the destructive powers of wildfires, what took place in The Dalles the past two days could have been worse.
    — Thallman, oregonlive, 15 June 2023
  • The size and strength of the hurricane and its wind fields, especially the inner core with the most destructive winds.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2023
  • This is the destructive game that Trump is playing, and his lawyers seem happy (or at least willing) to go along with it.
    — John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2023
  • This was his focus now: people’s destructive thought patterns and ways to break out of them.
    — Katie Bain, Billboard, 13 June 2024
  • The fires started Tuesday and fanned out across the island, growing in size and destructive power.
    — Karina Zaiets, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2023
  • Here are some of the most destructive and deadly hurricanes ever to touch U.S. soil.
    — Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 15 June 2023
  • The slime was destructive algae, the result of the excess of chemicals used by farmers to boost their crops, but at a high cost to nature.
    — Raf Casert, Quartz, 25 Feb. 2024
  • Lebanese Army Forces began to deploy toward the camp, raising the prospect of a broader and more destructive battle.
    — Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Sep. 2023
  • Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness has evolved over the past few decades in response to some of the island’s largest and most destructive quakes.
    — John Yoon, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
  • There was optimism that the Wednesday quake would be less destructive.
    — Yaqoob Akbary, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
  • The reactions of the villagers reflect on the destructive forces of gossip, judgment and revenge.
    — Karen Idelson, Variety, 12 Jan. 2024

Some of 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.

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