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
Larry Seward, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
The novel setup invited any number of issues that might have ruined the whole thing, but the experience was somehow redeemed and made special by its foundational reverence for the holy light of cinema.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
For some of us, Athens has always been more than ruins and retsina.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
The Fontainebleau Hotel is facing a lawsuit from condo owners in its Tresor and Sorrento towers who claim new rules governing unit rentals have the potential to financially ruin them.
—Larry Seward, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
The novel setup invited any number of issues that might have ruined the whole thing, but the experience was somehow redeemed and made special by its foundational reverence for the holy light of cinema.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
Using forklifts, rescue workers removed smoldering debris and sifted through ruins for survivors.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
For some of us, Athens has always been more than ruins and retsina.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
-
Alamariu pointed out that the two European countries had effectively lost their empires by then after being bankrupted by World War II.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Analyses show the experiment succeeded at expanding access and controlling costs without bankrupting health systems or pharmaceutical firms.—
Michael Rose,
STAT,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All the State Forensic Authority’s DNA analysis labs were looted and destroyed in the fighting.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
But now with factories, energy facilities, bridges and railways destroyed—leaving many Iranians unemployed—conditions have gotten worse.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
House Republicans approved the resolution last month despite conservationists’ warnings that the move would lead to devastating pollution in one of the country’s last remaining wild areas.—
Todd Richmond,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces — now in its third year — continues to devastate economic activity, displace millions, and fuel inflation.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The fighting has carved a path of destruction from agricultural towns near the border to Beirut, killing more than 2,000 people and displacing in excess of 1 million others, according to Lebanese authorities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Washington wanted to test if the Iranian command, after seeing the destruction from six weeks of war and the killing of its Supreme Leader, would now bend to its will, experts said.—
Saeed Shah,
Time,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The crashes unfolded in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, specifically near Loveland Ski Area, and followed a chaotic morning that saw six separate wrecks, mostly along the same highway, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Just after midnight, the two approached a busy intersection where a car wreck had occurred earlier that evening.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In many states, including Maryland, debtors may exempt substantial assets from bankruptcy, including retirement accounts, spendthrift trusts and substantial equity in real estate (unlimited in Texas).—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The additional financial pressure is mounting on top of low crop prices and an increasing number of farm bankruptcies following the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Industry experts blame a litany of mistakes for Sears’ downfall, including how the retailer navigated competition, lost its identity and lacked foresight as e-commerce took off.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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Weinstein’s precipitous downfall came after the New Yorker and The New York Times published explosive investigative reporting in late 2017 accusing him of habitually preying on women from his powerful perch in Hollywood and blacklisting those who rejected him.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While Correa won’t attach the team’s struggles to injuries, the lineup and pitching staff have been ravaged by them in the early going of the season.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Taiwanese friends have told me that the tariffs are ravaging their businesses.—
Michelle Kuo,
The Dial,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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