The difference between Destroy and Extirpate

When used as verbs, destroy means to damage beyond use or repair, whereas extirpate means to clear an area of roots and stumps.


check bellow for the other definitions of Destroy and Extirpate

  1. Destroy as a verb (transitive):

    To damage beyond use or repair.

    Examples:

    "The earthquake destroyed several apartment complexes."

  2. Destroy as a verb (intransitive):

    To cause destruction.

    Examples:

    "Hooligans destroy unprovoked."

  3. Destroy as a verb (transitive):

    To neutralize, undo a property or condition.

    Examples:

    "Smoking destroys the natural subtlety of the palate."

  4. Destroy as a verb (transitive):

    To put down or euthanize.

    Examples:

    "'Destroying a rabid dog is required by law."

  5. Destroy as a verb (transitive):

    To severely disrupt the well-being of (a person); ruin.

    Examples:

    "Her divorce destroyed her; she had a nervous breakdown and was severely depressed for more than a year."

  6. Destroy as a verb (colloquial, transitive):

    To defeat soundly.

  7. Destroy as a verb (computing, transitive):

    To remove data.

    Examples:

    "The memory leak happened because we forgot to destroy the temporary lists."

  8. Destroy as a verb (US, colloquial, slang):

    To sing a song poorly.

  1. Extirpate as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

    To clear an area of roots and stumps.

  2. Extirpate as a verb (transitive):

    To pull up by the roots; uproot.

  3. Extirpate as a verb (transitive):

    To destroy completely; to annihilate.

  4. Extirpate as a verb (transitive):

    To surgically remove.