0 to damage something so badly that it cannot be used: --
The accident seemed to have completely/totally destroyed his confidence.
Most of the old part of the city was destroyed by bombs during the war.
1 to damage something, esp. in a violent way, so that it can no longer be used or no longer exists: --
Losing his job seemed to completely destroy his confidence.
You can use a shredder to destroy old bank statements.
If these become damaged or even destroyed by exogenous influences the continuation of a specie may be in danger.
Such molecules may have been destroyed, altered or displaced into deeper soil layers, where they are protected from radiation and oxidation.
The election had destroyed any immediate hopes of a future electoral agreement between the parties.
The numerical goal is to derive a stable scheme that can approximate possibly large gradients without destroying the gauge invariance of the system.
Reasons for legume seed loss included eating the seed, livestock or birds eating the crop, beetles, weevils or other pests destroying the seeds.
Cessation: an object is destroyed or removed and no longer exists in the real world.
The trolley is heading towards destroying a tool, but can be diverted to a track with one person on it.
Aboriginal heritage and knowledge of family and ancestors relied on oral traditions that were disrupted and mostly destroyed by colonisation.