701.8. Destroy

To destroy a permanent, move it from the battlefield to its owner’s graveyard.

The only ways a permanent can be destroyed are as a result of an effect that uses the word “destroy” or as a result of the state-based actions that check for lethal damage (see rule 704.5g) or damage from a source with deathtouch (see rule 704.5h). If a permanent is put into its owner’s graveyard for any other reason, it hasn’t been “destroyed.”

A regeneration effect replaces a destruction event. See rule 701.19, “Regenerate.”