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
Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Laminate flooring has some water resistance, but the core layer can quickly get ruined if water reaches it.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The problem is, structurally, for four years, the country was ruined.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 29 Jan. 2026
Frankly, this ruined my birthday for me for the next forty years.
—Gaby Iori
january 27, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Knowing what not to wash together can save plenty of headaches (and ruined garments and linens) down the line.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 27 Jan. 2026
If there is even the slightest chance of leaking in your basement, your precious keepsakes could be ruined by unwelcome water.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Jan. 2026
Dinner might have been ruined, but this certainly was not any sort of ruinous trade for either team.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
Under his leadership, the paper led a long and ultimately successful fight to end the rapacious practice of hydraulic mining that literally destroyed mountains and ruined Central Valley watersheds.
—Seán McMahon, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
His choices allow the viewer to drink in the intimate details of the ruined world.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Verb
Jennifer Bartholomew says her mother's apartment got power restored Tuesday, but all of the contents of her refrigerator were ruined.
—Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Laminate flooring has some water resistance, but the core layer can quickly get ruined if water reaches it.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The problem is, structurally, for four years, the country was ruined.
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 29 Jan. 2026
Frankly, this ruined my birthday for me for the next forty years.
—Gaby Iori
january 27, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Knowing what not to wash together can save plenty of headaches (and ruined garments and linens) down the line.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 27 Jan. 2026
If there is even the slightest chance of leaking in your basement, your precious keepsakes could be ruined by unwelcome water.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Jan. 2026
Dinner might have been ruined, but this certainly was not any sort of ruinous trade for either team.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
Under his leadership, the paper led a long and ultimately successful fight to end the rapacious practice of hydraulic mining that literally destroyed mountains and ruined Central Valley watersheds.
—Seán McMahon, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruined
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
In the late 1830s, as a devastating financial crisis bankrupted antislavery societies across the North, the movement seemed splintered and powerless to keep up its petition pressure campaign.—
Time,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Holy Innocents School posted on Facebook that the school’s church hall was broken into and destroyed.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The structure was destroyed during World War II and numerous frescoes were lost in raids, according to Jubilee 2025.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Then her son wrecked her Acura.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Having to face Williams, who routinely wrecked the line of scrimmage against the Texans, would be a heck of a welcome back.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Saquiel has his own connection to the doomed voyage, which has left him with a collection of love letters from Bemadette to Ariel.—
Mary Damiano,
Miami Herald,
2 Feb. 2026
-
In November, researchers published findings about the deadly pathogens that ravaged Napoleon's soldiers during his doomed 1812 retreat from Russia.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Niners were ravaged by injuries this past season, losing the services of some of pro football’s best players.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
-
For over a millennium, measles have ravaged humanity.—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 5,
Futurism,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Damaged beyond repair, the building was permanently closed and later demolished.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
After the closure of Toni’s Italian Restaurant’s Olathe location last year, city planning documents show the restaurant’s former building will soon be demolished alongside a handful of other buildings, as the city gears up for an ambitious overhaul of East Santa Fe Street.—
Kendrick Calfee
Updated February 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 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
Cite this Entry
“Ruined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruined. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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