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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruining
Doomscrolling was ruining my life.
—
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Wednesday was a repeat, with flies and rodent poop ruining the callback inspection.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
After ruining Mozart’s prospects at court, Salieri is stunned to learn that he’s been promoted to kapellmeister.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles has taken the spending to a different level, though, which has led a group of baseball fans to say the Dodgers are ruining baseball.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Steam cleaning is an effective way to sanitize and refresh your mattress, but the wrong technique can end up ruining the fabric.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Bree doesn’t even realize that Evan is already in the process of ruining everything.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
The mist dissipates around a room instead of spewing out like a wet stream, which keeps Alpert worry-free about ruining her wooden bed frame.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
In fact, for some items, a standard cold wash can be ruining.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Wednesday was a repeat, with flies and rodent poop ruining the callback inspection.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
After ruining Mozart’s prospects at court, Salieri is stunned to learn that he’s been promoted to kapellmeister.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles has taken the spending to a different level, though, which has led a group of baseball fans to say the Dodgers are ruining baseball.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Steam cleaning is an effective way to sanitize and refresh your mattress, but the wrong technique can end up ruining the fabric.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Bree doesn’t even realize that Evan is already in the process of ruining everything.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
The mist dissipates around a room instead of spewing out like a wet stream, which keeps Alpert worry-free about ruining her wooden bed frame.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
In fact, for some items, a standard cold wash can be ruining.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruining
Verb
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But the question of how to get landlords to deliver this housing without bankrupting their buildings matters just as much.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The indictment, unsealed in a federal courthouse in New York on Thursday, accuses Patrick James and Edward James of bankrupting First Brands and fraudulently obtaining billions of dollars behind the backs of the company's lenders and financing partners.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The firestorm ravaged Pacific Palisades and Altadena, killing 31, destroying more than 16,000 structures and contaminating others with toxins and heavy metals.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Special prosecutors indict Kim Keon Hee and former Prime Minister Han on charges of abetting Yoon’s imposition of martial law, falsifying and destroying official documents and lying under oath.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
From tiny insects like flies and butterflies at the edge of the frame, to large mountains, clouds full of rain, even great wrecking machines — everything is animated with precision and beauty.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
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But the $1 million community project fund brought by Lee to the borough won't be used to hire contractors and their wrecking crews.—
Tory Wegerski,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Because the nerves were already ravaging his poise.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This is a chilling history of a problem still ravaging significant swaths of America — not to mention elsewhere in the world.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Converting Gary Works to an Electric Arc Furnace facility would mean shutting down the entire plant, demolishing it, and building new facilities.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The plans accommodate through-running train capacity without demolishing the neighborhood south of Penn.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Through the implementation of strong border policies, fentanyl trafficking across the southern border has been slashed in half, leading to fewer overdose deaths devastating American families.—
Gabe Evans,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
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The Los Angeles County district attorney is investigating whether Southern California Edison should be criminally prosecuted for its actions in last year’s devastating Eaton wildfire, which killed 19 people and left thousands of families homeless, the company said Wednesday.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And, showcasing their awesome, frightening power, one avalanche derailed a train in Switzerland on Monday, injuring five on board, while another swept through a refuge on a French mountainside earlier this month, shattering windows and dumping snowdrifts inside the building’s kitchen.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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His head reportedly struck the tree, shattering his helmet.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Intriguingly, the lunar surface is littered with craters that record the chaotic early days of the solar system when planets and asteroids were smashing into one another.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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Images and videos flooded social media of immigration law enforcement’s violent encounters with protesters, including shooting rubber bullets, spraying chemical agents at close range and smashing car windows.—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruining. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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