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
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
Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Jan. 2026
Don't let winter ruin your best pairs.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 6 Jan. 2026
Dan Walters, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Now, Maduro’s capture puts at risk a decadeslong alliance that saved Cuba from total economic ruin following the collapse of its former economic patron, the Soviet Union.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
Chavez was cracking down on dissent, and his economic policies were ruining her family’s chicken processing business, Presti said.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Jan. 2026
Don't let winter ruin your best pairs.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
History tells us that taking prosperity for granted — think Detroit — is an invitation to economic ruin.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Now, Maduro’s capture puts at risk a decadeslong alliance that saved Cuba from total economic ruin following the collapse of its former economic patron, the Soviet Union.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
-
Born in 1926 in Weimar Germany, where hyperinflation bankrupted his father’s business, the young Linz witnessed the breakdown of democracy and the onset of Hitler’s dictatorship.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
-
County leaders are concerned about bankrupting the fund, which would in turn jeopardize county services.—
Erin Glynn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
So, automation can be used to destroy labor or workers’ power, but it can also be used in the opposite direction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Homes, businesses and synagogues were destroyed.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Group members want to see Bonta’s office take ownership of a review, as occurred in Hawaii after Maui’s devastating Lahaina fire.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The regime’s regional proxies have been devastated.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Since the boycott, PEN has donated to Palestinian aid organizations, highlighted writers and journalists who have been targeted and killed by Israel, and released a report on the deliberate destruction of Palestinian cultural heritage.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Consumers and retailers should destroy affected products and not return them, as Gold Star will issue refunds with proof of destruction.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Police charged a 50-year-old man with felony death by vehicle and driving while impaired in a fatal wreck in Gastonia on Wednesday night, court records show.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
-
According to the Texas Department of Transportation’s Fort Worth office, all westbound lanes of I-30 at Chapel Creek are closed due to the wreck.—
Zacharia Washington,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Following bankruptcy, the chain liquidated stores, leases and intellectual property before five stores reopened in the state.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The currency collapse, the insane inflation, water bankruptcy, and energy crisis have created conditions for sustained unrest.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The rise and fall of Urban Communities Outlier pieced together the events that led to Urban Communities’ downfall largely through court records and filings at the Wayne County Register of Deeds.—
Aaron Mondry,
Freep.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Demonstrators have been calling for the Iranian regime's downfall and systemic change as a first step to reclaiming freedom and dignity.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dysentery and scurvy ravaged the vessel, killing or incapacitating many on board.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Nineteens went to the right flank, near where the Kinneloa Fire had ravaged that neighborhood in 1993.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share