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
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Recent Examples of ruin
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
This leads to the fracture in Catherine and Heathcliff's relationship that dooms them all to ruin.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
In a nation lacking Roman ruins or Mesoamerican pyramids, the antebellum mansions of the Old South play a nearly perfect substitute.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
What if my playing ruined the performance?
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
This leads to the fracture in Catherine and Heathcliff's relationship that dooms them all to ruin.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
In the ruins of a dystopian Rio de Janeiro—a city fractured by class conflict and addicted to blood sport—a resistance leader is forced to enter a violent, high-stakes race to save his sister from a fate worse than death.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
In a nation lacking Roman ruins or Mesoamerican pyramids, the antebellum mansions of the Old South play a nearly perfect substitute.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
-
The cases are ongoing, with plaintiffs also filing claims against the trusts of companies bankrupted by the litigation.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The indictment, unsealed in a federal courthouse in New York on Thursday, accuses Patrick James and Edward James of bankrupting First Brands and fraudulently obtaining billions of dollars behind the backs of the company's lenders and financing partners.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Shipwreck hunters have been searching the lakes with more urgency in recent years out of concerns that invasive quagga mussels are slowly destroying wrecks.—
Todd Richmond,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
However, archaeologists faced a significant challenge—how to penetrate its secrets without destroying it in the process?—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The synthetic opioid is far more potent than heroin and has devastated communities across the country.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
In Kristin Dwyer's In Time With You (out March 3 from Wednesday Books), that's the conundrum facing Nieve Monroe, who's devastated after her boyfriend Carter dies saving her from drowning.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Though once vital to the economy of the American territory, Puerto Rico’s sugar plantations evolved to represent the destruction and exploitation of colonialism that continues to impact the region today—a detail not lost on those cast as grass.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hannah Hackemeyer, just 18 at the time of the 2024 single-car wreck, was sentenced Tuesday in the death of Sophia Lekiachvili, a spokesperson with the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.—
Caroline Silva,
AJC.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Coppola, the head-of-table colossus, was fearless and senseless, a beautiful wreck, as lax with details as he was committed to art.—
Michael O’Donnell,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No bankruptcy, and no personal lawsuits.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Developers and investors are hesitant to schedule a spot on a factory line if that factory’s bankruptcy will leave them in the lurch.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But Hadder says the department’s downfall essentially hinged on Sawyer’s order.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
And then came the third quarter, the Heat’s period of downfall this season, with Boston finding its 3-point game and leaving it tied 74-74 going into the fourth — a 36-15 scoring edge in the period.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Wildfires have also ravaged grasslands used to graze cattle, according to the White House.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
His family emigrated to escape the proxy Cold War conflicts that ravaged the nation from 1978 to 1990.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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