destruct

/dɪˈstrʌkt/

/dɪˈstrʌkt/

Other forms: destructed; destructing; destructs

When you destruct something, you destroy or wreck it. A developer might buy an old building in order to destruct it and build a shiny new one in its place.

The verb destruct isn't as common as its relatives, destructive, destruction, and self-destruct, but you can use it to mean "wipe out" or "destroy." Your doctor might worry that your lack of sleep and frequent soda drinking will destruct your health, and a kindergartner will probably wail in frustration if her little brother destructs her Lego creation. Destruct comes from destruction, most likely as 1950's US defense industry jargon.

Definitions of destruct

1. verb

   do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of
   synonyms: destroy

   types:

   kill

   destroy a vitally essential quality of or in

   do away with, eliminate, extinguish, get rid of

   terminate, end, or take out

   self-destroy, self-destruct

   do away with oneself or itself

   end

   put an end to

   fracture

   interrupt, break, or destroy

   sweep away, wipe out

   eliminate completely and without a trace

   interdict

   destroy by firepower, such as an enemy's line of communication

   demolish, pulverise, pulverize

   destroy completely

   break apart, break up, disassemble, dismantle, take apart

   take apart into its constituent pieces

   dismantle, level, pull down, rase, raze, take down, tear down

   tear down so as to make flat with the ground

   eradicate, exterminate, extirpate, root out, uproot

   destroy completely, as if down to the roots

   dilapidate

   bring into a condition of decay or partial ruin by neglect or misuse

   demyelinate

   destroy the myelin sheath of

   cancel out, wipe out

   wipe out the effect of something

   decouple

   reduce or eliminate the coupling of (one circuit or part to another)

   decouple

   eliminate airborne shock waves from (an explosive)

   annihilate, obliterate

   do away with completely, without leaving a trace

   knock out

   eliminate

   drown

   get rid of as if by submerging

   cut out

   delete or remove

   cut, prune, rationalise, rationalize

   weed out unwanted or unnecessary things

   extinguish, snuff out

   put an end to; kill

   except, exclude, leave off, leave out, omit, take out

   prevent from being included or considered or accepted

   bulldoze

   flatten with or as if with a bulldozer

   type of:

   undo, unmake

   deprive of certain characteristics
2. verb

   destroy (one's own missile or rocket)
   “The engineers had to destruct the rocket for safety reasons”

   type of:

   destroy

   do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of