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
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
Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Jennifer Armstrong, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Voicer Peter Sulzicki may be correct in that the three-pointer has ruined the game of basketball.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Despite Mike’s attempts to prevent it, Tyler learns that Mike ruined the surprise not one minute into dinner service.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Now in his early 30s, our son has struggled with depression and anxiety, bad credit and crippling debt, and ruined relationships.
—Carla Gennaro, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
Four years of Cub Scout calls ruined my bosses’ otherwise good nature about my volunteer activities.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
The bottom of the ninth ruined an impressive night from Trout and the rest of the Angels’ offense.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
The boxy 1960s-era former City Hall was ruined by a historic flood in 2023 and demolished.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 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
Adjective
His choices allow the viewer to drink in the intimate details of the ruined world.
—Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Verb
Scott would play Ben Wyatt, a former teen mayor who’d ruined his town financially and was now paying penance by becoming a state budget auditor.
—Jennifer Armstrong, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Voicer Peter Sulzicki may be correct in that the three-pointer has ruined the game of basketball.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Despite Mike’s attempts to prevent it, Tyler learns that Mike ruined the surprise not one minute into dinner service.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Now in his early 30s, our son has struggled with depression and anxiety, bad credit and crippling debt, and ruined relationships.
—Carla Gennaro, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
Four years of Cub Scout calls ruined my bosses’ otherwise good nature about my volunteer activities.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
The bottom of the ninth ruined an impressive night from Trout and the rest of the Angels’ offense.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
The boxy 1960s-era former City Hall was ruined by a historic flood in 2023 and demolished.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruined
Verb
-
Alamariu pointed out that the two European countries had effectively lost their empires by then after being bankrupted by World War II.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
While there are no comprehensive studies comparing the environmental impacts of cultivated versus conventional seafood, alternatives like Wildtype could avoid ocean pollution and overfishing, which have caused losses in biodiversity and destroyed the ocean’s resiliency.—
Jaia Clingham-David,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Yutu destroyed 85% of the Saipan campus of Northern Marianas College, said the school's president, Galvin Deleon Guerrero.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The sharp-toothed action flick centers on a South Carolina coastal town wrecked by a hurricane.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Trump's rocky relationship with NATO dates back to his first term, but the war with Iran has wrecked any remaining foundation, NPR's Franco Ordoñez says.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On June 16, 1989, 250,000 people gathered in Heroes’ Square for the ceremonial reburial of Imre Nagy, the prime minister who was executed after leading Hungary during the doomed 1956 revolution against the Soviets.—
Joshua Levine,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Williams, of course, worked at NBC for nearly three decades, including an 11-year run at NBC Nightly News that ended 2015 after exaggerations and falsehoods were found in some of his reporting, including reports from Iraq, and from New Orleans after it had been ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The latter saved my heat and humidity-ravaged hair, making the frizz and dryness vanish.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But part of the deal involves the purchase of the adjacent Blue Cross and Blue Shield building (to be demolished) along with its parking.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Xfinity Mobile Arena, which broke ground in 1994 and opened in 1996, would be demolished once the new arena is completed.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
16 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
-
But Perez, Vargas and Blanco were devastated by the decision to let Braddy live.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But the loss of those extra property tax dollars devastated cities, which had been scrambling since Proposition 13 put the brakes on property tax increases.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruined. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
