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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of ruin
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Mar. 2026
That passive-aggressive email ruined your mood, but the feedback about your project was pretty accurate.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
In times of scarcity, when another mouth to feed means ruin for the poor, two children working together may be a revolutionary act.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
In each case, a well-meaning notification threatens to ruin the experience entirely.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Mar. 2026
That passive-aggressive email ruined your mood, but the feedback about your project was pretty accurate.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
Hop a boat to Devenish Island, where the monastic ruins feel quietly cinematic.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
In times of scarcity, when another mouth to feed means ruin for the poor, two children working together may be a revolutionary act.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
-
The Nazis made 350 million pounds’ worth of counterfeit currency to try and bankrupt and flood the British economy.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Crumbs went from a Nasdaq darling to bankrupt in three years.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Later, a fire at Hall’s grandmother’s house would destroy most of his magic act.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
This time around, in that first wave of strikes on February 28, American cruise missiles targeted and destroyed a building that ended up being a girls’ school—killing more than 168 young children who had just started their day of classes.—
Connor Okeeffe,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our team found that a hospital cyberattack cut the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest without devastating brain damage by nearly 90% at nearby hospitals, not just the one that was attacked.—
Jeffrey Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Look, if this had happened in my third season playing this character, I’d be devastated.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Sacramento County Parks Department says there's been a big increase in vandalism and destruction of the nature preserve due to unauthorized use of off-road bicycles and e-bikes.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
After the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While traditionally believed not to be a problem (unless visiting wrecks or ammo dumps), awareness is now growing that the sunken munitions could pose a serious environmental risk.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
-
What the now-shuttered auto dealership neglected to tell him was that the pickup had been in at least one wreck and had already changed hands three times.—
Steven Church,
Bloomberg,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Farmers had hoped to compensate for last year's losses, when farm bankruptcies increased for the second year in a row.—
Lana Zak,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Spirit, the low-cost carrier that filed for its second bankruptcy last year, cut several routes earlier this month.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Subaru enthusiasts may likely look past the vehicle’s main downfall, its subpar range and lack of refinement.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
To be fair, Titus betraying his sister does ultimately lead to his downfall, even if Ursula isn’t around to see it.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Dallas Stars have added some extra support, as injuries continue to ravage their forward group.—
Lia Assimakopoulos,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Those playoff hopes are gone, with the Panthers all but mathematically eliminated from postseason contention as injuries ravaged their roster and kept them on the outside looking in of the playoff picture all season.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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