ruined 1 of 2

adjective

as in done
facing certain defeat, disaster, or death your chances for a promotion were ruined the instance you started mouthing off to the boss

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ruined

2 of 2

verb

past tense of ruin
1
as in bankrupted
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 destroyed
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action tornadoes ruined a wide swath of the county

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3
as in demolished
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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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 ruined
Adjective
Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Verb
On Monday, workers hauled out a 200-pound piece of equipment that was ruined by the saltwater and sand carried in on the high tides. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 The idea for her top was loosely based on an old vintage shirt that Satenstein accidentally threw into the dryer and ruined. — Irene Kim, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026 Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where the college football refs ruined yet another game last night. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 As Vanderslice unwittingly contributed to the story with some quotes, not realizing the tone and direction of the article, his candidacy was derailed and his credibility ruined. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026 Some suburbs battled soil erosion, which ruined rivers and contaminated drinking water. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 The two mistakes at the end ruined an impressive comeback by Dak Prescott and the offense. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 In a defense memo, Pattis characterizes Diamantis as a broken and financially ruined former politician and lawyer who at 70 might not survive a long prison sentence. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026 What could have easily ruined their experience instead became an unforgettable highlight of the trip. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruined
  1. doomed
  2. bankrupted
  3. destroyed
  4. demolished
  5. sunk
  6. ravaged
  7. shattered
  8. finished
Adjective
  • Kurdish-Canadian director Soran Mardookhi, with his latest documentary feature The Flight, recalls the doomed Ukraine Airlines Flight PS752 that in January 2020 crashed soon after taking off from an airport near Tehran.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Joe and Nathan’s doomed bromance started off tense, got better over time, and worsened again once Joe found another bro to romance with.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of doomed
Verb
  • Richard Stockton, a lawyer who signed the declaration was captured, starved, and nearly bankrupted by the British.
    — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Most manufacturers were bankrupted by equipment failures and financial challenges, making the 1990s a tough time for wind power’s pioneers.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 15 June 2026
Definition of bankrupted
Verb
  • The hurricane sent chairs flying and destroyed the restaurant’s canopy.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • And the recording that exposed their machinations ultimately destroyed the type of ethnic politicking that made the careers of too many self-serving power grabbers, including this quartet.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroyed
Verb
  • The old airport must be demolished within 12 months under the development agreement with the City of Burbank.
    — Annita Katee, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Pulte’s application calls for the existing shopping center to be demolished, paving the way for construction of three six-story condominium buildings, two single-story commercial structures and a riverwalk.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolished
Adjective
  • The train is, of course, a classic example of the perennial perils of sunk costs; abandoning the line seems absurd (even to us) given how much money would be written off.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In my experience, mid-market companies operate with leaner teams and cannot absorb the sunk costs of a multi-month implementation with room for scope creep, reworks and failures.
    — Prathamesh Bhingarde, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of sunk
Verb
  • For more than 50 years, the house remained vacant, was ravaged by fire, and fell into complete disrepair.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The orangutans, including three mothers with infants and two adolescent males, were rescued from areas in Ketapang and North Kayong regencies that were ravaged by fires between August and September.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of ravaged
Verb
  • The police tear gas grenade shattered the 14-year-old’s jaw and many of his teeth.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Natasha Gregson Wagner was just 11 years old when an ordinary childhood sleepover turned into a moment that shattered her world.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of shattered
Adjective
  • The project had initially gone into development through Kapadia’s Mangata Films label, but received a big shot in the arm when Scam and Black Warrant producer Applause Entertainment boarded to produce and distribute the finished show.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The paper presents PhoneBot as a platform others can build and experiment with, rather than a finished household companion.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of finished

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Cite this Entry

“Ruined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruined. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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