1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

ruin 1 of 2

verb

ˈrü-ən How to pronounce ruin (audio)
Definition of ruinnext
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 demolish
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

ruin

2 of 2

noun

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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ruin
Verb
The near-miss is one of the more potent and consequential instances of a hallucinating AI ruining the reliability of a professional report. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026 About 20 people can sit on its highly weather-dependent patio, where rain clouds could threaten to ruin their evening. — Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
Any more details ruin surprises, which are integral for Boyle’s engagement in the project. — William Earl, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026 The investments have left people in financial ruin, according to Torre’s report. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
  1. bankrupt
  2. destroy
  3. demolish
  4. destruction
  5. wreck
  6. bankruptcy
  7. downfall
  8. ravage
Verb
  • Sometimes the very entities owning these hospitals and nursing homes are purposely bankrupting them, pillaging them of their value to maximize the owners’ profits.
    — Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Tarwater has warned that the class-action lawsuit currently pending against Jackson County — with a settlement class including 200,000 homeowners — could bankrupt the county if paid out.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026
Definition of bankrupt
Verb
  • Just this man, essentially destroying himself while his friend watched.
    — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The European Union’s ban on destroying unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear began applying to large companies July 19.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • The block that houses Monarch Donuts will soon be demolished as construction starts on a new retail and residential development called the Arcadia Town Center.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Some are also concerned that the president's proposal for the arch, along with other projects like the ballroom and threats to demolish the Kennedy Center, could significantly alter Washington's landscape.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of demolish
Noun
  • Counsel argued that seizing the ballots was necessary to preserve potential evidence before statutory destruction deadlines and to compare the total number of ballots with official vote records.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The investigation into Israel’s mass killing of civilians in Gaza was shot at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv where the filmmakers interviewed Israeli military intelligence officers and soldiers about destruction and loss of life.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • The Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesian rescuers recovered more bodies from the wreck of a ferry that capsized in the Java Sea two weeks ago, bringing the death toll to 64.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The Nantucket Current reported that the wreck is likely part of a 19th-century wooden ship that wrecked near Miacomet Beach in 1884.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of wreck
Noun
  • Assured said that Brightline Trains Florida LLC, which runs the train service, has not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but that certain other Brightline Florida entities did file for such protection.
    — Michelle Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The bankruptcy proceedings will affect Brightline’s parent company and not the operating company of the Miami-to-Orlando high-speed rail operations.
    — Joshua Ceballos, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of bankruptcy
Noun
  • The absence of a broader reckoning following Combs’ downfall becomes less surprising in light of this culture.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The report dismisses theories that the downfall of SVB was accelerated by rumors spreading on social media at the time.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of downfall
Verb
  • Their starting rotation was ravaged with injuries and the bullpen was leaky beyond repair.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Many came from Lee County, which is both where the book is set and one of the counties most ravaged by the opioid epidemic.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravage

Browse Nearby Words

rugs
ruin
ruinate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of epistemic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All