destroy
Meaning(s)
1. to end sth by damaging it
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
destroy reputation/evidence
Analysis
'To destroy' means to end or put a stop to something by damaging or attacking it, or to defeat or ruin someone in a huge way. You could destroy a room or a building by setting it on fire, or damaging it for example, or destroy a relationship by revealing something bad. You can also destroy someone's reputation by saying bad things about them. This is a common verb used in social and professional contexts. Similar in meaning to 'demolish'. v
Social Examples (Basic)
- Valuable evidence was destroyed when the police failed to protect the crime scene.
- The doctor's reputation was destroyed when he incorrectly diagnosed his patients.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- The companies reputation has been completely destroyed by the scathing review in the newspaper.
- We can't risk any work being lost or destroyed so we have it backed up on a number of servers across the world.