This article reports the development of cyclobutene-based monomers that can be co-polymerized with conventional monomers to create polymers with mechanically triggered degradability. These monomers, which feature cyclobutene residues, can undergo a ring-opening reaction under mechanical force, leading to the formation of imide groups in the polymer backbone. These imide groups can then be hydrolyzed under basic conditions, causing the polymer chains to cleave and degrade into smaller molecules. The study demonstrates that this approach can be applied to a wide range of polymers, including those made by radical polymerization, and shows that the resulting polymers can be degraded on demand under conditions of mechanical force and basic pH. The degradation process is particularly effective in seawater, where mechanical forces and basic conditions are often present, making these polymers promising for applications such as chemical recycling, implant immolation, drug delivery, and adhesives that debond on demand. The article also includes detailed methods for synthesizing the monomers and co-polymers, as well as experimental results and computational studies to support the findings.This article reports the development of cyclobutene-based monomers that can be co-polymerized with conventional monomers to create polymers with mechanically triggered degradability. These monomers, which feature cyclobutene residues, can undergo a ring-opening reaction under mechanical force, leading to the formation of imide groups in the polymer backbone. These imide groups can then be hydrolyzed under basic conditions, causing the polymer chains to cleave and degrade into smaller molecules. The study demonstrates that this approach can be applied to a wide range of polymers, including those made by radical polymerization, and shows that the resulting polymers can be degraded on demand under conditions of mechanical force and basic pH. The degradation process is particularly effective in seawater, where mechanical forces and basic conditions are often present, making these polymers promising for applications such as chemical recycling, implant immolation, drug delivery, and adhesives that debond on demand. The article also includes detailed methods for synthesizing the monomers and co-polymers, as well as experimental results and computational studies to support the findings.