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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroyed
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 demolished
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruined
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Our family has been ruined by Denise's lies of promising to end a year-long affair.
—Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
The season is already ruined for both Ortiz, Clase, and quite possibly the Guardians, and their fans.
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The country-style restaurant is renowned for its homey atmosphere, which some believe would be ruined by design changes to the location.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Topa startled by knee pain Trying to close out the game, right-hander Justin Topa made a pitch in the ninth inning and felt a pain in his knee similar to the patellar tendon injury that ruined most of his 2024 season.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 8 Sep. 2025
To him, the field looked ruined — nothing like the stiff, proud stalks of wheat growing nearby.
—Julia Rendleman, ProPublica, 5 Sep. 2025
Helene cost him less than 10 percent of that collection, thousands of seeds ruined when his freezers lost power and frost melted.
—Lila Hempel-Edgers, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025
Also, no one wants their magical photos ruined by scaffolding or lift trucks, so Disney specifically selects paint that will be long-lasting and durable.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
When faced with Cherry going berserk, what can Laura do but visit Cherry’s mother and learn that Cherry nearly killed her dad and ruined an ex-boyfriend’s wedding by filling his cake with raw pig parts?
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Our family has been ruined by Denise's lies of promising to end a year-long affair.
—Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
The season is already ruined for both Ortiz, Clase, and quite possibly the Guardians, and their fans.
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The country-style restaurant is renowned for its homey atmosphere, which some believe would be ruined by design changes to the location.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Topa startled by knee pain Trying to close out the game, right-hander Justin Topa made a pitch in the ninth inning and felt a pain in his knee similar to the patellar tendon injury that ruined most of his 2024 season.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 8 Sep. 2025
To him, the field looked ruined — nothing like the stiff, proud stalks of wheat growing nearby.
—Julia Rendleman, ProPublica, 5 Sep. 2025
Helene cost him less than 10 percent of that collection, thousands of seeds ruined when his freezers lost power and frost melted.
—Lila Hempel-Edgers, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025
Also, no one wants their magical photos ruined by scaffolding or lift trucks, so Disney specifically selects paint that will be long-lasting and durable.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruined
Adjective
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Owner Jason Boso fixed that, infusing $2 million into the 10-year-old bar on better bathrooms, a covered section of the patio and a re-done kitchen.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas News,
3 Apr. 2023
Verb
-
Multiple rocket explosions nearly bankrupted the company.—
Joel Shulman,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Jerry Garcia's 1977 pet project, which nearly bankrupted the band, screens in IMAX this weekend.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Alternatively, a star being ripped apart in TDE could produce a day-long GRB, but this scenario fails to replicate other properties of the GRB 250702B, an explosion that would require a very unusual star being destroyed by an even stranger black hole.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Hadid was commissioned to design it for a fire brigade on the Vitra Campus after a major 1981 fire destroyed most of the complex, which originally consisted of factory buildings but is now a collection of contemporary design and architecture showrooms.—
Mae Hamilton,
AFAR Media,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Additionally, several existing dilapidated buildings on the site will be demolished and their concrete recycled and partly reused to realize the new structures.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Sep. 2025
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Archaeologists believe that Ayscough's house was demolished after a fire destroyed it in the early 1800s – but its remains have only just been uncovered in new excavations.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Her mother, Colette Watson, was a flight attendant on the doomed Eastern plane, but walked away from the crash nearly unharmed.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
This fuzzy, snout-nosed, smart aleck extraterrestrial whose name was Gordon Shumway crashed in the suburban garage of the Tanner family in California after escaping from the doomed planet of Melmac, which was destroyed by nuclear war.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The latest aftershocks follow two earthquakes that ravaged a nation already crushed by war, poverty and shrinking aid.—
Mohammad Yunus Yawar,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
-
City officials hired a company to knock down the brick behemoth months after a late-night fire ravaged the building in June 2024, but what to do with the city real estate has remained unclear.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the aftermath, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko recorded a video message from the building’s shattered upper floors.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Photos of the aftermath showed the front windshield on the roof of the bus shattered and nearly flattened.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With consistent insight, leaders can shift from reactive spending to strategic investing—turning technology from a sunk cost into a competitive advantage.—
Kathleen Hurley,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
With Aguirre’s plan, the efforts will become a sunk cost.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruined. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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