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 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

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 same is true of most of the other Council members who are trying to ban the horses and ruin the lives of the horses and their drivers. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026 The country packs a lot into a relatively small footprint, from ancient Maya ruins to world-class diving along the world’s second-largest barrier reef. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026
Noun
Leaders had to look at the ruins and imagine the machinery of repair. — Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026 This spring, residents were allowed to return to the ruins of the complex, Wang Fuk Court. — New York Times, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
  1. bankrupt
  2. destroy
  3. devastate
  4. destruction
  5. wreck
  6. bankruptcy
  7. downfall
  8. ravage
Verb
  • French money underwrote the American Revolution, bankrupting Louis XVI’s government and paving the way for their own revolution within a decade of the end of the American war.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
  • Unless homeowners opt out individually by July 16, more than 200,000 Jackson County households will become part of the lawsuit class seeking a direct one-time refund of overpayments, which some have warned could bankrupt the county.
    — Ilana Arougheti July 7, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
Definition of bankrupt
Verb
  • The planters themselves get chipped, scratched, dented and, in one out of every three cases so far, destroyed.
    — Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • However, an unconfined plasma column could instantly destroy solid surfaces upon contact.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • We are devastated to learn of the passing of Kevin Keegan, one of the most iconic, influential and deeply loved figures in our club’s history.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Recently, Rodríguez was photographed in a once-unthinkable meeting with uniformed IDF brass overseeing Israeli rescue efforts in the wake of two powerful earthquakes that have devastated Venezuela’s coastal region.
    — Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
Definition of devastate
Noun
  • Growing concerns over wildfire preparedness The destruction of Collins has renewed questions about whether Ontario’s wildfire strategy is keeping pace with increasingly intense fire seasons.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill to protect federal artworks, including New Deal-era masterpieces, from possible sale or destruction.
    — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • Godreque Newsom was accused of unintentionally killing 27-year-old Abari Meade in a car wreck and fleeing the scene.
    — Taylor Croft, AJC.com, 22 July 2026
  • France, through its armed forces, deployed 15 divers to join local teams at the wreck site.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Definition of wreck
Noun
  • According to Huang, this lifeline kept Nvidia from bankruptcy, allowing the company to develop the later Riva 128 and GeForce lines of graphics cards.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • According to reports from that time, bankruptcies, divorces, domestic abuse and mental health issues all appeared to be on the rise.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Definition of bankruptcy
Noun
  • One downfall of being a homeowner is seeing your home start to become a place for unwelcome guests like bats.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
  • Believing the Trojan Horse to be a peace offering, the officers drag the hollow figure inside the city walls and place it outside the Temple of Athena, which leads to Troy’s harrowing downfall hours later.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Definition of downfall
Verb
  • As part of these clashes, Israel twice launched significant air strikes on Iran—the second time ravaging Iran’s air defenses.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • Although the speech part of her brain was ravaged, the music area remains intact, Kelly told me.
    — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 20 July 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 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ruin

Nglish: Translation of ruin for Spanish Speakers

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 itinerant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All