laying waste vs destruction

laying waste and destruction both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
laying waste	Yes	No	No	No
destruction	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, destruction is a hypernym of laying waste; that is, destruction is a word with a broader meaning than laying waste:

laying waste: destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined
destruction: the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists

Other hypernyms of laying waste include devastation.

laying waste (noun)	destruction (noun)
destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined	the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
	an event that completely destroys something
	a final state