destroys

Destroys is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb destroy. It denotes causing the complete ruin or severe damage of something and is used with a direct object: The flood destroys homes across the valley. As a transitive verb, destroy takes an object and has related forms including destroying, destroyed, and destruction.

Origin: The verb originates in Middle English from Old French destruire, which itself derives from Latin destruere, from de- + struere, meaning to pull down or ruin. The modern form developed through standard English conjugation, with the third-person singular ending -s.

Usage: It is a strong verb used in literal contexts (natural disasters, warfare) and in figurative contexts (ruining reputations, destroying evidence). In formal writing, milder alternatives such as damage, undermine, or ruin may be preferred when full ruin is not intended. Common collocations include completely destroys, rapidly destroys, or destroys evidence.

Examples: The hurricane destroys villages and crops. The scandal destroys the politician’s credibility. Time destroys ancient records, making some details hard to recover.

See also: Destroy, Destruction, Destructive, Ruin.