Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A mechanism for causing a device to destroy itself.
- intransitive verb To destroy oneself or itself.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
destroy oneself.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb do away with oneself or itself
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Bonjean said Romney clearly wants to let Perry "walk out on his own plank with his own saw" -- in other words, self-destruct.
FOXNews.com Judson Berger 2011
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I watched one remarkable president, Lyndon Johnson, self-destruct because he could not level with the American people about a war he was waging in their name.
The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010
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I watched one remarkable president, Lyndon Johnson, self-destruct because he could not level with the American people about a war he was waging in their name.
The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010
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I watched one remarkable president, Lyndon Johnson, self-destruct because he could not level with the American people about a war he was waging in their name.
The Good Fight Walter F. Mondale 2010
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A siren blared through the halls, indicating that the self-destruct had been initiated.
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A siren blared through the halls, indicating that the self-destruct had been initiated.
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The distinction between "celebrity" and "star" was quite different in those days, and while there have always been actors who self-destruct, watching it happen today seems to have become almost a blood sport.
Maria Cooper Janis: Gary Cooper: A Father, a Man, an American Maria Cooper Janis 2011
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Cuomo has mostly been able to kickback and watch Paladino's campaign self-destruct.
NYC Elections 2010: Last Minute Voter Guide To Crucial Races The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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Maybe s/he will be so nutty, so unreasonable, so vile, that, assuming you're not equally horrible justifying a "plague on both your houses" mentality by the judge, s/he will self-destruct.
Terri Weiss: The Crux of Divorce Decisions is The Smell Test Terri Weiss 2011
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Maybe s/he will be so nutty, so unreasonable, so vile, that, assuming you're not equally horrible justifying a "plague on both your houses" mentality by the judge, s/he will self-destruct.
Terri Weiss: The Crux of Divorce Decisions is The Smell Test Terri Weiss 2011
rolig commented on the word self-destruct
I just realized this is a back-formation from self-destruction. After all, there is no word "to destruct". Doesn't someone have a list of back-formations where this belongs?
November 28, 2009
vanishedone commented on the word self-destruct
Actually, the O.E.D. lists a verb 'to destruct' (defined as equivalent to destroy) with destructed attested in an example from before 1638, but it does have the note: 'Quot. a1638 is an isolated use. The recent (chiefly U.S.) use in Rocketry is prob. in part a back-formation on DESTRUCTION.' So probably and in part you're right.
November 28, 2009
sionnach commented on the word self-destruct
Added to my list - thanks, rolig!
November 28, 2009
reesetee commented on the word self-destruct
I have one too--added.
December 1, 2009
pterodactyl commented on the word self-destruct
I came here to comment on how "destruct" isn't a verb, only to find that my fellow Wordniks already cleared up this issue, five years ago. I love this site and the people on it!
October 30, 2014