千里之堤，毁于蚁穴

• 丿(stroke; expansion; many)ASSOCIATIVE
• 十(ten)ASSOCIATIVE

Ten multiplied many times becomes a thousand — the stroke above the number ten symbolizes an enormous quantity.

• 衣(clothes; garment)RADICAL
• 里(inside; lining)PHONO-SEMANTIC

The inner lining hidden inside a garment is the concealed inner face.

• 之(walk; arrive; step on ground)ASSOCIATIVE

A footstep moving forward on the ground represents "go to," which then becomes a grammatical particle.

• 土(earth; soil; ground)RADICAL
• 是(correct; this; that)PHONO-SEMANTIC

An embankment is a ridge of earth built up to block floodwaters.

• 臼(mortar; pestle)ASSOCIATIVE
• 土(earth; dust)ASSOCIATIVE
• 殳(weapon; strike)RADICAL

Using a weapon to smash a mortar into dust is destruction.

• 于(at; in (pictographic — curved stroke representing breath escaping))ASSOCIATIVE

Breath curves and escapes from a person, meaning 'at' or 'in' a place.