auto-destruct

[ aw-toh-di-struhkt ]

verb (used without object)

1. self-destruct.

Other Words From

• auto-de·struction noun
• auto-de·structive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of auto-destruct¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

It’s the only set of Instagram stories she’s saved from the platform’s 24-hour auto-destruct feature.

From Slate

This dream has an auto-destruct label in front of it.

From Salon

The malware also includes an auto-destruct feature that hackers can use to delete the malware and other software on infected devices, making them inoperable, he said.

From Reuters

Does the state have the authority to compel Bornstein’s to include a special backdoor into your mind so that it can hack into your memories without triggering the auto-destruct feature?

From Slate

Now it seemed as if New York had set itself to auto-destruct.

From Time