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.
Some have historically failed to deactivate – a Government Accountability Report found nearly 2,000 failed to self-destruct during the 1990-91 Gulf War. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 Another version partially self-destructed during a 2018 auction, passing through a shredder hidden in its frame just after it was purchased for $1.4 million at Sotheby’s. Greg Norman, Fox News, 13 Sep. 2024 Yet Chelsea found a way to self-destruct again late on as Badiashile passed the ball straight to Luis Palma for the third and Michael Johnston ran on to Palma’s ball for the fourth. Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 27 July 2024 The film barely finished in time for the Telluride Film Festival, as Tyrnauer had to reshoot the entire ending after President Joseph Biden self-destructed at the first presidential debate. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near self-destruct

Cite this Entry

“Self-destruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-destruct. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

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