Dictionary synonyms for destroy:  demolish knock down level raze (to the ground) fell wreck ruin shatter blast blow up dynamite explode bomb spoil ruin wreck disfigure blight mar impair deface scar injure harm devastate damage wreak havoc on total wreck ruin spoil disrupt undo upset put an end to put a stop to terminate frustrate blight crush quash dash scotch devastate demolish scuttle sabotage mess up foul up put the kibosh on fry do for blow a hole in bring to naught.

While the editors portray destroy as binary, many of the synonyms listed in the dictionary clearly are not.   It would appear that modern usage is not as binary as the editors suggest.