destructing
Breaking itself down
Destructing is the present participle of destruct, a back-formation from destruction.
To destruct means to destroy or be destroyed, often deliberately: The rocket began destructing shortly after launch.
The word appears most often in the phrase self-destruct, where something destroys itself, either by design or metaphorically through poor choices: His career is destructing before our eyes.
Removing completely and permanently
- annihilatingDestroying utterly and completely
- obliteratingDestroying beyond recognition
- wiping outDestroying completely
- exterminatingDestroying all of something
purging · liquidating · expunging · erasing · deleting · removing · effacing · abolishing
Undergoing organic breakdown
- degradingLowering in worth
- corrodingDeteriorating through chemical action
- erodingGradually wearing away
- crumblingBreaking down gradually
disintegrating · rotting · rusting · weathering · wearing away · falling apart · decomposing · oxidizing
Destroying a structure completely
- razingComplete structural demolition
- implodingCollapsing violently inward
- wreckingDestroying completely
- topplingCausing to collapse
collapsing · leveling · flattening · bulldozing · dynamiting · detonating · blasting · tearing down
Taking apart systematically
- taking apartSeparating into components
- deconstructingBreaking into constituent elements
- disassemblingTaking something apart
- strippingRemoving outer layers
detaching · unfastening · unbolting · unscrewing · disengaging · decoupling · separating · unraveling
eradicating
Removing completely and permanently
- annihilatingDestroying utterly and completely
- obliteratingDestroying beyond recognition
- wiping outDestroying completely
exterminating · purging · liquidating · expunging · erasing · deleting · removing · effacing · abolishing · terminating
decaying
Undergoing organic breakdown
- degradingLowering in worth
- corrodingDeteriorating through chemical action
- erodingGradually wearing away
crumbling · disintegrating · rotting · rusting · weathering · wearing away · falling apart · decomposing · oxidizing · entropy
demolishing
Destroying a structure completely
- razingComplete structural demolition
- implodingCollapsing violently inward
- wreckingDestroying completely
toppling · collapsing · leveling · flattening · bulldozing · dynamiting · detonating · blasting · tearing down · bringing down
dismantling
Taking apart systematically
- taking apartSeparating into components
- deconstructingBreaking into constituent elements
- disassemblingTaking something apart
stripping · detaching · unfastening · unbolting · unscrewing · disengaging · decoupling · separating · unraveling · disjoining
destructingbuilding
Enclosed roofed structure
constructing · creating · assembling · making · forming
destructingpreserving
Protecting from deterioration
conserving · protecting · maintaining · safeguarding · saving
- total destructionComplete and utter ruin
- mass destructionLarge-scale total ruin
- path of destructionRoute marked by ruin
- weapons of mass destructionArms causing widespread casualties
- self-destructive behavior
- habitat destructionEliminating natural living spaces
destruction, destructive, indestructible, destructible, self-destruction, self-destructive