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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruining
Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.
—
ABC News, 31 May 2026
Here's how to identify black spot and prevent it from ruining your roses.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
In her response, Hajdini cast Rana as manipulative and deceitful, intent on ruining her life and besmirching her employer through his sensational accusations.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Graham Platner, Maine’s presumptive Democratic Senate nominee, began Memorial Day weekend by releasing an ad on the cable station that airs Boston Red Sox games accusing team owners of ruining the storied franchise.
—Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 26 May 2026
In my opinion, Pittman is one of many who are ruining it.
—Richard Wagoner, Daily News, 25 May 2026
This situation is ruining my good feelings about the club.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
When sound came in, people were writing all these articles about how sound is ruining films.
—Andy Hazel, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
The shoes have a water-repellent protective coating, so there's no need to worry about the weather ruining the white exterior (just wipe them down with a wet cloth after).
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026
ABC News, 31 May 2026
Here's how to identify black spot and prevent it from ruining your roses.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
In her response, Hajdini cast Rana as manipulative and deceitful, intent on ruining her life and besmirching her employer through his sensational accusations.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Graham Platner, Maine’s presumptive Democratic Senate nominee, began Memorial Day weekend by releasing an ad on the cable station that airs Boston Red Sox games accusing team owners of ruining the storied franchise.
—Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 26 May 2026
In my opinion, Pittman is one of many who are ruining it.
—Richard Wagoner, Daily News, 25 May 2026
This situation is ruining my good feelings about the club.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
When sound came in, people were writing all these articles about how sound is ruining films.
—Andy Hazel, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
The shoes have a water-repellent protective coating, so there's no need to worry about the weather ruining the white exterior (just wipe them down with a wet cloth after).
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruining
Verb
-
Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
Among its many distinctions, SPLC is known for bankrupting the Ku Klux Klan.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It was compounded when a West Contra Costa storage unit caught fire, destroying Alvin’s belongings, their mother testified.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Junk yards and auto wrecking services will soon be paying $354 instead of $273 for their new license, and secondhand dealers will see reduced fees — paying $354 instead of $480.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
And with injuries ravaging Canada’s back line, Sigur has the quality to quickly become an important part of their World Cup.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
In the penultimate episode, a fire at the Pineville Dam spiraled out of control, ravaging the infrastructure and causing the dam to break.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Verb
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The plan involves demolishing the building and constructing a near-replica on the same Beatties Ford Road footprint.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
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The British government refused to subsidize food prices or restrict exports of Irish agricultural goods, further devastating the island.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
The carp have already shifted Mississippi River ecosystems by crowding out native fish, devastating some areas.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Those strikes heavily damaged the bases, burying most tunnel entrances under mountains of debris and shattering roads leading to the sites.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
As the pattern settled in, summer heat finally arrived across the northern tier, shattering nearly 50 records, with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average, Fox Weather reported.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
The attack happened in an area where security forces are usually stationed, badly damaging nearby buildings and smashing more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road, according to witnesses and images circulating on social media.—
Abdul Sattar,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruining. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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