Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

Destroy by vs destroy in

Destroy by and destroy in are both possible, but they express different relationships. By usually introduces the cause or agent, while in often refers to an event or situation.

Quick answer

How are by and in used with destroy?

Use destroyed by to name the cause, agent, or method. Use destroyed in to place the destruction within an event, accident, or situation.

The village was destroyed by fire.
Several files were destroyed in the flood.
The crops were destroyed by insects.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
destroyed by + cause/agent

Naming what caused destruction

By introduces the force, person, or thing responsible for the destruction.

The bridge was destroyed by the earthquake.
The documents were destroyed by hackers.
2
destroyed in + event

Referring to an event or situation

In places the destruction within an event, disaster, or process.

Many homes were destroyed in the storm.
The records were destroyed in a warehouse fire.
3
destroy + object

Using destroy without a preposition

Destroy often takes a direct object when the thing affected is named directly.

The explosion destroyed the building instantly.
The virus destroyed the data overnight.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
destroyed by
The forest was destroyed by lightning.
Shows the cause or agent.
destroyed in
The paintings were destroyed in the war.
Shows the event or context where destruction happened.
destroy with
They destroyed the files with acid.
Shows the instrument or method.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by for events instead of causes

Use in for wars, fires, crashes, and similar events when the event is the context.

✕ The archives were destroyed by the war. ✓ The archives were destroyed in the war.

Using in for direct causes

Use by when naming the actual destructive force.

✕ The house was destroyed in termites. ✓ The house was destroyed by termites.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The building was destroyed ___ a bomb.
2. Many artworks were destroyed ___ the fire.
3. The crops were destroyed ___ insects.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Can both by and in appear in the same sentence?

Yes. For example: The factory was destroyed by an explosion in 2019.

What is the difference between destroyed by and destroyed in?

Destroyed by focuses on the cause. Destroyed in focuses on the event or context.

Is destroy usually transitive?

Yes. Destroy commonly takes a direct object, such as destroy evidence or destroy a building.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account