1
as in bankrupting
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
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 wrecking
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruining
Doing so could compromise the slight taper at the hem, ruining the silhouette.
—
Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
Car designers love them for not ruining the lines of the door with the necessities of real life, but is the benefit from drag reduction worth the safety risk?
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
And broadcasting your irritation too loudly risks ruining the atmosphere for everyone else just as much as their yelling or off-key chants.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
Just as Alexis Bellino flubbed her second chance by aligning herself too closely with Johnny J, an Ed Hardy snapback that refuses to die, Gretchen is ruining hers by trying to relitigate things from the Obama Administration.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Lewis Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari and crashed out of the Dutch Grand Prix, ruining a chance to nab a good haul of points.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Thanks, man, for ruining an almost-letter-perfect red-carpet walk.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Here’s how often to wash your shoes—and how to do it without ruining them.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 25 Aug. 2025
The real victory, Henderlite argues, isn’t about ruining your ex in court but about walking away with a better life than before.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
Car designers love them for not ruining the lines of the door with the necessities of real life, but is the benefit from drag reduction worth the safety risk?
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
And broadcasting your irritation too loudly risks ruining the atmosphere for everyone else just as much as their yelling or off-key chants.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
Just as Alexis Bellino flubbed her second chance by aligning herself too closely with Johnny J, an Ed Hardy snapback that refuses to die, Gretchen is ruining hers by trying to relitigate things from the Obama Administration.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Lewis Hamilton lost control of his Ferrari and crashed out of the Dutch Grand Prix, ruining a chance to nab a good haul of points.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Thanks, man, for ruining an almost-letter-perfect red-carpet walk.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Here’s how often to wash your shoes—and how to do it without ruining them.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 25 Aug. 2025
The real victory, Henderlite argues, isn’t about ruining your ex in court but about walking away with a better life than before.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruining
Verb
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See video … WATCH TOM HOMAN – With a secure border, the US is bankrupting cartels.—
,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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Yet either change could risk bankrupting the program.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In July, the Dragon Bravo Fire engulfed the more remote side of Grand Canyon National Park, destroying dozens of structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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The horrific string of wildfires that has plagued California in recent years, taking dozens of lives and destroying many billions of dollars in property, also created a crisis in property insurance.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Adam Berry/Getty Images What To Know Phoenix police said in a release to media that a 19-year-old was detained after wrecking a memorial for Kirk at the office of Turning Point USA, the conservative campus group that Kirk co-founded.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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Despite the mixed reception, the money counter was an earnest attempt to keep the show running on schedule, preventing one or two self-indulgent speakers from wrecking the running time.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Three weeks later, the 41-year-old was forced to evacuate her home with her newborn due to the devastating fires ravaging Los Angeles.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
But on an evening back in July, inordinate rainfall led to unrelenting floodwaters ravaging the lower level of Pledger’s home.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tens of thousands have been fleeing the city, which has seen Israel demolishing high-rise buildings.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
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Preservationists stepped in to keep the company from its standard practice of demolishing a vacant building.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Not even a month had passed since his big sister, Toraya, was shot and killed at an apartment complex in New Jersey, devastating the Reid family and shaking the Timberwolves organization to its core.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Oil was discovered there in the 1920s, and the county went through booms and busts for decades, enriching wildcatters and devastating the landscape, until a lasting bust left Loving County a virtual wasteland with no running water, paved roads, schools, hospitals, or grocery stores.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Juni was shot in the head twice, with one bullet skimming her eye, and the other shattering her jaw.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Bonded by a mysterious, complicated past, the men share a fraught, if occasionally tender relationship that had been forever altered by shattering events decades earlier.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Brown climbed the ladder to haul in a pass over the middle from Madsen, beating his defender in the air acrobatically before smashing into the end zone turf for the catch and a 33-14 lead.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Sep. 2025
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Superman proved to fire off the new DC under chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran, while the original gambles that Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy have made at the larger Warner Bros Motion Picture Group with Sinners and F1, as well as new IP A Minecraft Movie, have been smashing successes.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruining. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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