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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of ruin
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The Orionid meteor shower will unfold against a pristinely dark, moonless sky — unlike the Perseids, whose August peak was somewhat ruined by the light cast by a waning gibbous moon that hid dimmer members of the shower from view.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Gaza’s deputy minister of health, Dr Yousef Abu Al Rish, shared a video from the scene with CNN that showed ruins and burned and destroyed medical equipment.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
Olympia is clearly torn about the situation, and almost confesses to Matty, but her fear that Julian's crimes could ruin the lives of their children keeps her mouth shut and her mind focused on exposing Senior.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The Orionid meteor shower will unfold against a pristinely dark, moonless sky — unlike the Perseids, whose August peak was somewhat ruined by the light cast by a waning gibbous moon that hid dimmer members of the shower from view.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
Her art anticipates a future archaeology of ruins.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Gaza’s deputy minister of health, Dr Yousef Abu Al Rish, shared a video from the scene with CNN that showed ruins and burned and destroyed medical equipment.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
-
Paul faces charges for the death of his friend, and her parents sue Alex for millions, threatening to bankrupt him and expose all his criminal enterprises.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The latest ones give the impression that women’s and Olympic sports are in trouble because having to pay athletes a salary is going to bankrupt their schools.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The fear of further Israeli strikes, particularly on Iran, remains acute in the public’s mind as much of Iranian air defenses likely were destroyed by Israel in June.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The Wild were absolutely destroyed in the faceoff circle, losing 44 of 71 (38 percent success rate).—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Though the large recall sent shockwaves through the EV space, many fans of the nameplate were left devastated because of its initial positive reception.—
Charles Singh,
Nashville Tennessean,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Suspect arrest in deadly Palisades Fire The man accused of starting a fire that eventually became the deadly blaze that devastated the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles earlier this year has been indicted by a federal grand jury, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.—
Alex Stone,
ABC News,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Aghion and Howitt studied the mechanisms behind sustained growth, including in a 1992 article that offered a complex mathematical model for creative destruction that added new aspects not included in earlier models.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Still, through the summer of 2020, stories of statue destruction emerged from all corners of the country.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In addition to the exploding festival stage, there’s a drunken bachelorette wreck, plus a jaw-dropping boy-with-the-red-balloon moment involving a little girl and a kite.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The statement did not include any details on the wreck, or any potential injuries.—
Angele Latham,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Nonetheless, the bank’s share price has plunged over 20% since the bankruptcy unfolded last month.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Traders are certainly growing more worried about potentially bad loans, as two recent bankruptcies have suggested that lending standards may have relaxed too much.—
Jeff Kilburg,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Without Allen and his ability to stretch the field, the Bills' downfalls on defense would likely not have led to a 4-1 record.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Karen’s downfall is documented in 4K for all to see.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Wait until November to start feeding birds if bears and other wildlife tend to ravage your bird feeders.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Trump’s response to the reporter’s brief question about Wu and World Cup games in Boston lasted less than four minutes, with a chunk of his response referring to Los Angeles’ response to the devastating wildfires that ravaged Southern California earlier this year.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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