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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ruin
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
Spare yourself the tragedy of a poor tomato harvest by avoiding this major, yet common mistake that can absolutely ruin your tomato plants.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Pavlo Fedykovych, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
There, buffalo roamed free within the ancient ruins of Magna Graecia in the low, alluvial plains just outside of Naples.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
Wednesday’s re-inspection got ruined by four live roaches, one of which was spotted on the dining area floor and another on a cookline shelf with clean plates.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
Spare yourself the tragedy of a poor tomato harvest by avoiding this major, yet common mistake that can absolutely ruin your tomato plants.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Noun
Vịnh Mốc can also be visited as part of a DMZ tour, which includes stops at the Khe Sanh Combat Base, a US Marine base that endured a 77-day siege in 1968; the ruins of Long Hung church, destroyed in a 1972 battle; and Hiền Lương Bridge at the 17th parallel that divided North and South Vietnam.
—Pavlo Fedykovych, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
There, buffalo roamed free within the ancient ruins of Magna Graecia in the low, alluvial plains just outside of Naples.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
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Wiping out the island’s energy infrastructure would effectively bankrupt Iran and diminish its capabilities to the point of being unable to continue in the war, administration officials said.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
-
Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Madeira is intentionally exposed to heat and oxygen during aging, something that would destroy most wines.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
Terminix utilizes the advanced Sentricon baiting system alongside traditional liquid barriers to destroy subterranean colonies entirely.—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
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While several of these positions are vacant to avoid layoffs, representatives said the reductions would nevertheless devastate public safety efforts.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 11,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
-
The screwworm, which has the capacity to devastate cattle and sheep herds, has now appeared in Texas, where its costs could be enormous.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Israeli troops occupy more than 10% of Lebanese territory, leaving a trail of destruction that has seen swaths of the country’s south all but razed.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
There are those who would write her off, and perhaps her timidity before America’s facilitation of Gaza’s destruction has earned that dismissal.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
That was a massively consequential wreck for a few reasons.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
According to the warrant affidavit, a nurse practitioner who worked at Yale New Haven Hospital stopped her vehicle upon seeing the wreck and began checking to see if everyone was OK.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Murphy’s report comes as the state awaits the launch of an auction to find new ownership for Prospect’s Connecticut facilities — one step in the sprawling company’s months-long bankruptcy proceedings.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Farm bankruptcies have roughly doubled, compared to last year.—
Beth Ford,
Time,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
That commodification of wildlife would lead to the downfall of nearly every large mammal in North America.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
His demanding job was ultimately the downfall of their relationship, and a common theme in the early seasons of the show.—
Rachel LaBonte,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The post-apocalyptic horror film stars Will Smith as a virologist and the last living human in a New York ravaged by a plague that turns humans into vampiric mutants.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
-
Fergie’s family, like so many at the time, were reeling from a hurricane that ravaged the island four weeks earlier on its way to slam into Galveston, Texas.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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