Destroy
Destroy verb - To bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of.
Usage example: their poor scores on the final exam destroyed any chance they might have had to pass the course
Make
Make verb - To bring into being by combining, shaping, or transforming materials.
Usage example: will you help me make the dough for the cookies?
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
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Random events can make or destroy continent-spanning empires in few years (or weeks in Hearts of Iron).
Source: Luck-Based Mission -
And if the player manages to destroy or make peace with the geth, the quarians are allowed to return to their homeworld.
Source: Unreveal Angle -
On screen, depending on the tastefulness of the scene and the point in their career, it can either make or destroy an actor or actress.
Source: You Can Leave Your Hat On
Cite this Source
Make and Destroy. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/destroy/make
Destroy & Make. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/destroy/make>.
Make or Destroy. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/destroy/make.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "destroy" and "make" have occurred on timeline