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Definition of "self-destruct" [self-destruct]

  • A mechanism for causing a device to destroy itself. (noun)
  • To destroy oneself or itself: "died at 28, wasted from years of self-destructing on drugs” ( Jack Kroll). (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "self-destruct" in a sentence
  • "Bonjean said Romney clearly wants to let Perry "walk out on his own plank with his own saw" -- in other words, self-destruct."
  • "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 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."
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