self-destruct
Use Self-destruct in a sentence
dɪˈstrʌkt verb (used without object)
1.
to destroy itself or oneself: The missile is built so that a malfunction will cause it to self-destruct.
2.
to cause itself or oneself to reach a state of collapse, dysfunction, confusion, or the like: The committee is so disorganized it will probably self-destruct before it can accomplish anything.
adjective
3.
causing something to self-destruct: a self-destruct mechanism.
Origin:
1965–70, Americanism
1965–70, Americanism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To self-destruct
Collins
World English Dictionary
| self-destruct | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | (intr) to explode or disintegrate automatically as a result of pre-programming: the missile self-destructed |
| 2. | to destroy oneself, one's reputation, etc, through one's habits or actions: I totally self-destructed with drugs |
| —n | |
| 3. | (as modifier): hit the self-destruct button |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Self-destruct
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
self-destruct
as a verb, in ref. to things, "to destroy itself automatically," from self + destruct, apparently first attested in the U.S. TV series "Mission Impossible" (1966). Self-destructive is recorded from 1654, and self-destruction "suicide" is attested from 1586.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
But the strategy of waiting for the government to self-destruct may backfire.
It's not scary, it will not self-destruct if only you would listen.
Typically, the digital textbook files self-destruct after a set period of time, usually a semester or a year.
The world's economy is set to self-destruct and no one knows how much time is on the timer.
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