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
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 ruining
Or pursue the rancid criminal element across the galaxy as a bounty hunter, making your fortune by ruining bad guys' lives.
—
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025
So much so that the official Carol Burnett Show YouTube channel has several 15-minute salutes of Burnett, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and others busting up and ruining the bit.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025
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
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025
So much so that the official Carol Burnett Show YouTube channel has several 15-minute salutes of Burnett, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and others busting up and ruining the bit.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruining
Verb
-
See video … WATCH TOM HOMAN – With a secure border, the US is bankrupting cartels.—
,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Yet either change could risk bankrupting the program.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The county was also heavily affected by the 2021 floods that swept most of Middle Tennessee, with high waters washing away multiple roads and even destroying a church in the Pinewood community, according to previous Tennessean reporting.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Just two years earlier, devastating floods swept through Middle Tennessee, damaging infrastructure and destroying a church in Pinewood.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On July 21, 1715, a hurricane struck — wrecking the ships and releasing their treasures into the sea, according to The Associated Press.—
Ashley J. DiMella , Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
The Bleed Black will tell the story of a family’s perilous journey west to save their son a decade after colossal monsters began ravaging American cities.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Giving Bad Bunny the space to spotlight his culture and politics is a bold move for Apple Music, Roc Nation, and the NFL, in light of the anti-Latino sentiment ravaging the country.—
Vanessa Diaz,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Barner holds his arms parallel to the ground and swings them side to side while slowly stomping forward like Godzilla demolishing a city.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Often, demolishing a former shopping mall can be easier for builders who might then decide to build luxury housing that does not address the current affordability crisis.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
For leftovers, there’s a set of glass Pyrex containers that can be placed in the freezer or microwave with no worries about shattering.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
-
So to decide whether to marry or move on for good, one person issues an ultimatum, kicking off a potentially relationship-shattering experiment.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The 28-year-old provided another example with his second goal of the game, beating Robin Koch and smashing Bayern’s third into the top corner, late in the second half.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
In addition to smashing the Machine, Swift also easily soared over Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed One Battle After Another, the Leonardo DiCaprio-starring drama that fell to second place in week two.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruining. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share