self-destruct

verb

self-de·​struct ˌself-di-ˈstrəkt How to pronounce self-destruct (audio)
self-destructed; self-destructing; self-destructs

intransitive verb

: to destroy oneself or itself
self-destruct adjective

Examples of self-destruct in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For Flight 8 in particular, the engines shut down unexpectedly minutes after launch, causing the spacecraft to essentially fall apart and self-destruct in midair. Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 28 May 2025 Her erratic moods and default to self-destruct impacts all of her relationships as moments of levity erupt into violence and optimism simmers to despair. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 May 2025 Now, new observations of the aftermath of same event from the James Webb Space Telescope have suggested a scenario previously only considered in the realms of science fiction: that a planet about the size of Jupiter self-destructed by heading straight into its parent star. Jorge Garay, Wired News, 28 Apr. 2025 Again, this is where a lot of people get trapped, either out of boredom or a compulsion to self-destruct. Olivia Petter, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-destruct

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-destruct was in 1968

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Cite this Entry

“Self-destruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-destruct. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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