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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

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2
as in to destroy
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action tornadoes ruined a wide swath of the county

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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
At her trial, her stoic demeanor and shifting testimonies were nearly her ruin. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 Mill Park and its ruins are located on Fifth Avenue in the Southwest part of Little Falls. — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 17 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
  • The fire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, cabins and other structures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Mark Zuckerberg certainly wants no part of one, and cutthroat competition seems hard-coded into tech executives, who are rich enough not to need to win but wake up every morning trying to destroy each other anyway.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 17 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
  • The terrorism committed by Hamas on October 7 and the subsequent destruction of Gaza by Israeli forces are not the same.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Whether destruction or technological progress, both are purposeful activities, each with different conceptions of success or failure.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • The bus driver, who had been injured in the wreck, quickly called the bus operating division for help, said Stephanie Wiggins, CEO of the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In 1827, local businessmen staged a grisly spectacle to draw crowds, using the wreck of the lake schooner Michigan.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of wreck
Noun
  • Chatham Asset Management won the bidding in the bankruptcy auction that year, and much of the company’s debt was eliminated in the acquisition.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In this dark comedy that captures our anxiety about the future of technology, two entrepreneurs nearing bankruptcy unveil a VR device that uses personal data to predict its users’ future.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 18 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
  • 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
  • This was a big deal; years earlier, Zespri had specifically created the sweeter golden kiwifruit to be resistant to a disease that had ravaged kiwifruit orchards around the world.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravage

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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