The phrase "destroy motivation" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to describe the action of completely eliminating or taking away someone's drive or enthusiasm to do something. Example: The constant criticism from her boss destroyed her motivation to continue working at the company.
When given in a harsh and denigrating way, it destroys motivation and engagement.
The lack of opportunities destroyed motivations and was an immense waste of the talent of millions of young people.
Negativity destroys motivation and toxic relationships never motivate me.
It is a mindset that destroys motivation.
Nobel laureate Robert Lucas, in a recent lecture delivered at the University of Washington, calculated that the European welfare state lowered standards of living some thirty percent by distorting economic decision making, inhibiting innovation and entrepreneurship, destroying labor motivation, and creating permanent unemployment.
The reason for this was that removal of the reward destroyed the motivation of the birds to land near the previous location of the food source and caused them to land randomly anywhere on the table, or to not even leave the perch.
The second is reactionary: the conviction that Israel has no partner for peace, that an Arab leader's motivation to destroy Israel will correspond directly with his capability reinforced with references to the pathos of Jewish history.
Stimulus overloads destroy the ability and motivation to simply...wonder - wonder what might have been, what could be, what ought to be, and how things work.
But the most interesting ending was saved for Joe who, having failed to bring Odin in alive, was left with enough doubt over Yulia's motivations to destroy the pair's relationship.
In such situations where reward amount is not a factor, the use of monetary incentives may destroy pre-existing intrinsic motivations in a process known as "crowding out" [28].
