destroy() method in Tkinter | Python
Last Updated :
11 Jul, 2025
Tkinter supports a variety of methods to perform various tasks. It also offers some universal method.
destroy() is a universal widget method i.e we can use this method with any of the available widgets as well as with the main tkinter window.
Syntax:
widget_object = Widget(parent, command = widget_class_object.destroy)
This method can be used with
after() method.
Code #1: destroy() method passed as command
Python3 1==
# importing only those functions
# which are needed
from tkinter import *
from tkinter.ttk import *
# creating tkinter window
root = Tk()
# Creating button. In this destroy method is passed
# as command, so as soon as button 1 is pressed root
# window will be destroyed
btn1 = Button(root, text ="Button 1", command = root.destroy)
btn1.pack(pady = 10)
# Creating button. In this destroy method is passed
# as command, so as soon as button 2 is pressed
# button 1 will be destroyed
btn2 = Button(root, text ="Button 2", command = btn1.destroy)
btn2.pack(pady = 10)
# infinite loop
mainloop()
As you may observe, in above code that the command that is passed in button-2 is to destroy button-1 so as soon as you press button-2, button-2 will get destroyed.
Code #2:destroy() method with after() method
Python3 1==
# importing only those functions
# which are needed
from tkinter import *
from tkinter.ttk import *
# creating tkinter window
root = Tk()
# Creating button. In this destroy method is passed
# as command, so as soon as button 1 is pressed root
# window will be destroyed
btn1 = Button(root, text ="Button 1")
btn1.pack(pady = 10)
# Creating button. In this destroy method is passed
# as command, so as soon as button 2 is pressed
# button 1 will be destroyed
btn2 = Button(root, text ="Button 2")
btn2.pack(pady = 10)
# after method destroying button-1
# and button-2 after certain time
btn1.after(3000, btn1.destroy)
btn2.after(6000, btn2.destroy)
# infinite loop
mainloop()
From output you may see that both the widgets are destroyed after a certain time limit and only root window will be left empty.
Note: There is another method available
quit() which do not destroy widgets but it exits the tcl/tk interpreter i.e it stops the
mainloop().
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