BANKRUPT Synonyms: 130 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'bankrupt' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of bankrupt are deplete , drain , exhaust , and impoverish . While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse. // war had bankrupted the nation of resources

Q: When could 'deplete' be used to replace 'bankrupt'?

While in some cases nearly identical to bankrupt , deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function. // depleting our natural resources

Q: In what contexts can 'drain' take the place of 'bankrupt'?

The synonyms drain and bankrupt are sometimes interchangeable, but drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence. // personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

Q: When is 'exhaust' a more appropriate choice than 'bankrupt'?

While the synonyms exhaust and bankrupt are close in meaning, exhaust stresses a complete emptying. // her lecture exhausted the subject

Q: When would 'impoverish' be a good substitute for 'bankrupt'?

The meanings of impoverish and bankrupt largely overlap; however, impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness. // impoverished soil

bankrupt 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of bankrupt

as in devoid

utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected the company's product development team was bankrupt of ideas

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bankrupt

2 of 3

verb

as in to ruin

to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts several bad investments bankrupted him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bankrupt

3 of 3

noun

as in derelict

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

saint

as in insolvent

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word bankrupt distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of bankrupt are deplete, drain, exhaust, and impoverish. While all these words mean "to deprive of something essential to existence or potency," bankrupt suggests impoverishment to the point of imminent collapse.

war had bankrupted the nation of resources

When could deplete be used to replace bankrupt?

While in some cases nearly identical to bankrupt, deplete implies a reduction in number or quantity so as to endanger the ability to function.

depleting our natural resources

In what contexts can drain take the place of bankrupt?

The synonyms drain and bankrupt are sometimes interchangeable, but drain implies a gradual withdrawal and ultimate deprivation of what is necessary to an existence.

personal tragedy had drained him of all spirit

When is exhaust a more appropriate choice than bankrupt?

While the synonyms exhaust and bankrupt are close in meaning, exhaust stresses a complete emptying.

her lecture exhausted the subject

When would impoverish be a good substitute for bankrupt?

The meanings of impoverish and bankrupt largely overlap; however, impoverish suggests a deprivation of something essential to richness or productiveness.

impoverished soil

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bankrupt

Adjective

Social Security would not become bankrupt, but benefits would be constrained by incoming revenue unless Congress acts. — Thomas Hager, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Some residents said hope is elusive given the island’s litany of miseries – from natural disasters to a bankrupt government to a financial control board that manages funding for infrastructure. — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

Most manufacturers were bankrupted by equipment failures and financial challenges, making the 1990s a tough time for wind power’s pioneers. — IEEE Spectrum, 15 June 2026 This is, of course, the real-estate game where players attempt to bankrupt opponents through the buying, renting, and trading of properties. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 June 2026

Noun

The plan is intended to prevent the company from being dissolved, forced into liquidation or formally declared bankrupt. — Michelle Toh, CNN, 19 May 2020 Ghosn was sent to Japan by Renault in the late 1990s and is credited with turning around a then near-bankrupt Nissan. — Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2019 See All Example Sentences for bankrupt

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bankrupt

Adjective

In a show mostly devoid of explicit messages, the sentiment surprised me.

— Max Norman, New Yorker, 25 June 2026
Players take on the role of a Ditto capable of mimicking its human trainer, and the Pokémon is thrown into a world devoid of humans.

— Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

Definition of devoid

Verb

Before the attack, millions of books a year were printed in this space, where there’s now nothing but piles of swollen book stock, ruined after firefighters put out the blaze.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
But Timothy Leary’s version became the dominant idea of psychedelics, and when President Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs began, psychedelics were vilified as the gateway to ruin.

— Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

Noun

He was later found delinquent in Pennsylvania juvenile court.

— Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
In other words, a $2,000 credit card balance that's 120 days delinquent may get a more generous settlement offer than a $20,000 card balance with payments that are still current.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Definition of delinquent

Noun

But if a well is deserted or an operator insolvent, the state can be responsible for plugging it.

— Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
The diocese acknowledged that the value of Diocesan assets available to resolve claims, including any available insurance coverage, may not be sufficient to cover the claims and could leave the diocese insolvent.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025

Definition of insolvent

Adjective

This produces dense, void-free films with larger crystal grains.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026
Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday rejected an emergency appeal from Missouri Republican officials to pause last week’s unanimous state Supreme Court ruling that a new congressional map is void and can’t be used in the upcoming midterm elections.

— Peter Weber, TheWeek, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of void

Adjective

The game, set to be released in January 2027, is set in early 20th century Japan, following a foreigner who claws his way from destitute stranger to feared yakuza to entertainment tycoon.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
The film, a true story, follows Lilly, a destitute Alabama tire factory worker who sues her employer for paying her half the wages her male counterparts received for more than 12 years.

— Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of destitute

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bankrupt

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“Bankrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bankrupt. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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