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
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Recent Examples of ruin
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
That’s because New York had played much better for a stretch earlier in the month, but the poor play lately ruined all that work.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
For Osei, this makes fast fashion’s toll on Kantamanto, where merchants already court economic ruin by gambling on bales of low-quality clothing, all the more insidious.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
Defense ruins game plans and wins games in a league where the toughest come out on top.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
That’s because New York had played much better for a stretch earlier in the month, but the poor play lately ruined all that work.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Noun
One ship sank, one deserted, and the others spent weeks getting beaten up by the sea near Baffin Island before finally making it ashore to establish a mining camp, the ruins of which are still visible.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
For Osei, this makes fast fashion’s toll on Kantamanto, where merchants already court economic ruin by gambling on bales of low-quality clothing, all the more insidious.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
-
Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
He is relieved is working at a plant in Elkhart, Indiana which was once a 100-year-old family business, and was bought by a new investor who has nearly bankrupted it in two years.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Fueled by large stocks of critically dry vegetation and extreme winds, the fires killed 31 people, destroyed nearly 12,000 homes, and forced over 150,000 evacuations.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
But satellite images reviewed by CNN show how Iran has used simple equipment such as bulldozers and dump trucks to counter those costly campaigns — suggesting that Tehran’s missile capabilities can’t be destroyed just by targeting tunnel entrances, experts said.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Horvath has faced issues in her district, which includes county areas devastated by the Palisades fire.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
4 June 2026
-
In the case of Tom Brandis, played by the singular Mark Ruffalo, a tragedy (matricide) has devastated his family unit.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
Noun
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She was arrested at a hotel near the barn and booked at the Clark County Juvenile Hall on 12 counts of animal cruelty, including intentionally aiming or torturing a horse, as well as three counts of malicious destruction of property.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
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The teen, who was at a nearby hotel, was taken into custody and booked for 12 counts of willful/malicious kill/maim/torture animal -- horse and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000, police said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Then in the race, starting last, I got involved in a wreck.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
The wreck was first discovered in 2017 during a joint expedition by the Russian Geographic Society and the Russian military.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, companies that go through leveraged buyouts are ten times more likely to enter bankruptcy than peers that haven’t been taken private.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
From Silicon Valley to Ukraine Pathak is best known for previously leading Synapse, a controversial fintech platform that declared bankruptcy in 2024.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
As Nick Saban mentioned, the former Alabama coach insists that the current system is going to be the downfall of athletic programs across the country.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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Last month, the government also charged a special forces soldier who made over $400,000 from Polymarket trades betting on the downfall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
If Detroit, the city most ravaged by deindustrialization, can remake its defining industry and rebuild its downtown around a single, audacious bet on the future, so can America.—
Time,
Time,
2 June 2026
-
Regions like Tigray, Amhara, and Oromia remain ravaged by active warfare, massacres, and mass displacement.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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