1
as in to bankrupt
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts
after he was ruined by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the industrialist was forced to sell his mansion and start all over again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to destroy
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
tornadoes ruined a wide swath of the county
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to devastate
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
a huge fire that ruined an entire city block
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
a vicious bombardment that left the building in ruins
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wreck
ruins plural
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
the ruins of an abandoned abbey
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in bankruptcy
the inability to pay one's debts
the family faces ruin if the chief breadwinner doesn't find another job very soon
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4
as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life
the politician's eventual ruin would be a sexual indiscretion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruin
Jamie Weissman,
Southern Living,
26 June 2026
Reliable Luggage Tracker One of the biggest things that can ruin a trip is lost luggage.
—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
26 June 2026
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
Mussolini had a villa built, reduced like almost everything else to a pile of ruins.
—
Marzio G. Mian,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
As a hot sleeper, there’s nothing that can ruin a good night of sleep more than bedding that traps heat and forces me to toss and turn all night.
—
Jamie Weissman,
Southern Living,
26 June 2026
Reliable Luggage Tracker One of the biggest things that can ruin a trip is lost luggage.
—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
26 June 2026
Noun
Like photos, books and magazines may also stick and ruin from the heat and humidity.
—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
Mussolini had a villa built, reduced like almost everything else to a pile of ruins.
—
Marzio G. Mian,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
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The ruling was a victory for states, which said such claims could bankrupt them.
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Most manufacturers were bankrupted by equipment failures and financial challenges, making the 1990s a tough time for wind power’s pioneers.
Verb
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National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, the brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, said on Sunday that more than 12,000 people have been displaced by the earthquakes and 774 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including hospitals.
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There's nothing more quintessential to being a kid than playing Little League baseball, but on July Fourth, 2025, along with so much more, the Little League fields of Hill Country were destroyed, along with the innocence of thousands of kids who live here.
Verb
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The project has sparked outrage because of the location’s pristine nature and unique habitat that would be irreversibly devastated, according to environmentalists.
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BangkokReuters — The family of a 17-year-old Thai girl whose body was found in a suitcase in Pattaya said they were devastated by her death, for which an Australian man has been arrested and charged with murder.
Noun
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David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, told the the Washington Post he was arrested on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.
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This came on the heels of another round of tornadoes just four days earlier that leveled buildings and caused widespread destruction across the region.
Noun
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Preservation advocates warn that selling wreck relics to private collectors risks turning a maritime grave into a billionaire trophy hunt, even as Titanic memorabilia command multimillion-dollar bids worldwide.
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Trans-Atlantic dispute over the artifacts RMS Titanic wants to auction some of the first artifacts salvaged from the wreck.
Noun
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Saks Global officially filed for bankruptcy in January, kicking off a saga of restructuring under van Raemdonck, who was appointed to the CEO role when Saks filed.
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When a debtor files for bankruptcy, a stay automatically goes into effect that prohibits creditors from taking collection actions against the debtor without leave of the bankruptcy court.
Noun
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Bunting’s downfall in Toronto was the out-of-control rambunctiousness that led to far too many penalties.
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The steep drop in the housing market and the resulting downfall of the mortgage industry led to a credit crisis that brought the economy into a recession.
Verb
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The tree’s limbs were lopped off in the wake of January 2025’s Eaton fire, which ravaged Altadena and part of Pasadena, but all these months after the fire, there’s new growth on the tree.
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Matthew Tkachuk, who has been a franchise-altering player since Florida acquired him in July 2022, has already won twice with the Panthers in 2024 and 2025 before injuries ravaged Florida’s 2025-26 season.
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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