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 wrecked
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
Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2026
Talley went long with an 8-iron into a back bunker on the 12th, the hole that ruined Jordan Spieth's chances of a repeat Masters victory in 2016.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
The multiple mistresses ruined his image; the countless injuries derailed his golf game.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
The Chesapeake Baysox ruined both an excellent start by Jake Brooks and the Hartford Yard Goats’ start to the 2026 season in a 7-4 win on Thursday night at Dunkin’ Park.
—From Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
The three runners whose chances of victory were ruined — Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat — are now invited to compete at the 2026 World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026
That passive-aggressive email ruined your mood, but the feedback about your project was pretty accurate.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
Not a great weekend for Cinderella Has NIL ruined the college game?
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Everything looked incredible… until the teams started playing and ruined it a bit.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
His choices allow the viewer to drink in the intimate details of the ruined world.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Verb
Gilbert suggested that the allegations alone have ruined their lives.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2026
Talley went long with an 8-iron into a back bunker on the 12th, the hole that ruined Jordan Spieth's chances of a repeat Masters victory in 2016.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
The multiple mistresses ruined his image; the countless injuries derailed his golf game.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
The Chesapeake Baysox ruined both an excellent start by Jake Brooks and the Hartford Yard Goats’ start to the 2026 season in a 7-4 win on Thursday night at Dunkin’ Park.
—From Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
The three runners whose chances of victory were ruined — Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat — are now invited to compete at the 2026 World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026
That passive-aggressive email ruined your mood, but the feedback about your project was pretty accurate.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
Not a great weekend for Cinderella Has NIL ruined the college game?
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Everything looked incredible… until the teams started playing and ruined it a bit.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruined
Verb
-
Woodstock gave its name to a generation, but the concert itself was a debacle that nearly bankrupted its promoters.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Once the world’s leading producer, it was bankrupted by China’s price dumping.—
Markos Kounalakis,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Pratt's home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.—
Tom Wait,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The outlet said the strikes also destroyed homes and caused widespread damage.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The vlogger Jordan Cheyenne, for one, wrecked her sharenting career by accidentally posting footage of herself coaching her son, who was distraught over the family’s sick puppy, to make a specific kind of sad face for YouTube.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Then, one day, a construction accident while at work wrecked his teeth again.—
Scott Pelley,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
After a crash course in evangelical social media strategy and a hefty investment from her father-in-law, determined Natalie turns their doomed ranch — Caleb can’t stop killing cows — into a successful facsimile of the perfect life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
None of this, of course, is to excuse what Kyle said to Amanda, but an attempt to explain his psychology and illustrate how relationships on these shows are more doomed than Katy Perry’s pop career.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fire had consumed the backside of the split-level home, ravaged the kids’ bedrooms and almost every corner of the home.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Jackson witnessed one of the fires that ravaged the pier in 1974, during the filming of Tommy, Ken Russell’s adaptation of the Who concept album.—
Steve Appleford,
SPIN,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Eid Barakat was forced to move from here when his house was demolished.—
Seth Doane,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The project, which was announced by the White House in July, became a highly controversial undertaking when the East Wing was suddenly demolished to accommodate the 90,000 square foot ballroom.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Once a team trades draft capital to acquire or retain a star, those picks become sunk costs.—
Spencer Harrison,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Stress and resentment often builds within relationships driven by sunk cost thinking, which increases within the relationship.—
Gabrielle Kassel,
SELF,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The mother of a 7-month-old girl killed by a stray bullet while sitting in her stroller in Brooklyn is devastated by Wednesday's horrific tragedy.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
On May 18, 1980, the north slope of Mount Saint Helens, a volcanic peak in the Cascades Range, was blasted away in an eruption that killed 57 people and devastated an area of approximately 200 square miles.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruined. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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