as in ruining
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts
several bad investments bankrupted him
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Recent Examples of bankrupting
But the question of how to get landlords to deliver this housing without bankrupting their buildings matters just as much.
—
Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
The indictment, unsealed in a federal courthouse in New York on Thursday, accuses Patrick James and Edward James of bankrupting First Brands and fraudulently obtaining billions of dollars behind the backs of the company's lenders and financing partners.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The government dissolved Aum as a tax-exempt religious organization, effectively bankrupting it, and began to scrutinize other new religions, including the Unification Church.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Yamagami blames the sect for bankrupting his family through excessive donations from his mother, a member.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
County leaders are concerned about bankrupting the fund, which would in turn jeopardize county services.
—Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Dec. 2025
See video … WATCH TOM HOMAN – With a secure border, the US is bankrupting cartels.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Yet either change could risk bankrupting the program.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 3 Aug. 2025
Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
The indictment, unsealed in a federal courthouse in New York on Thursday, accuses Patrick James and Edward James of bankrupting First Brands and fraudulently obtaining billions of dollars behind the backs of the company's lenders and financing partners.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The government dissolved Aum as a tax-exempt religious organization, effectively bankrupting it, and began to scrutinize other new religions, including the Unification Church.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Yamagami blames the sect for bankrupting his family through excessive donations from his mother, a member.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
County leaders are concerned about bankrupting the fund, which would in turn jeopardize county services.
—Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Dec. 2025
See video … WATCH TOM HOMAN – With a secure border, the US is bankrupting cartels.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Yet either change could risk bankrupting the program.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 3 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bankrupting
ruining
Verb
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Trump has long mocked Bush for ruining his presidency by invading Iraq, and his administration over the past week has sought to downplay any parallels between Bush’s misadventures and its own attack on Iran.—
Vivian Salama,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
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The White House believed that that Iran was intentionally ruining the Mideast peace process, and then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich had called Iran the most dangerous nation on Earth.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bankrupting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bankrupting. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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