1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a ruinous miscalculation of the financial markets left them bankrupt
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2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
a ruinous windstorm destroyed the crops
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruinous
Making these obligations even more ruinous, patient advocates say, is that many may be based on inaccurate health care bills.
—
Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 30 May 2025
The federal government itself also has a near-monopoly on the market for economically ruinous student loans—the very loans that are themselves disproportionately responsible for abetting the modern four-year college's misbegotten status as a necessary rite of passage to achieve the American dream.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
There are more lecture tours, and ruinous business adventures — the financial writer in Chernow is more at ease with this material.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Its timelines collapse and blur, and its characters are bound by ruinous, inescapable fates; the reader cannot avoid disorientation.
—Marion Renault, The Atlantic, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 30 May 2025
The federal government itself also has a near-monopoly on the market for economically ruinous student loans—the very loans that are themselves disproportionately responsible for abetting the modern four-year college's misbegotten status as a necessary rite of passage to achieve the American dream.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
There are more lecture tours, and ruinous business adventures — the financial writer in Chernow is more at ease with this material.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Its timelines collapse and blur, and its characters are bound by ruinous, inescapable fates; the reader cannot avoid disorientation.
—Marion Renault, The Atlantic, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruinous
Adjective
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Skipping this governance checkpoint essentially means letting people create powerful and untested tools for decision making, which could be disastrous to an organization’s future success.—
Larry English,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Trading away Jokic would be disastrous, and the thought of it is just as bad.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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As a result, more children were vaccinated against devastating viruses, and more were lives saved.—
Jennifer Lotito,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Saying goodbye to Sunny in July 2024 was devastating.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Most had gone to sleep by the time of the fatal brawl.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
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An attack in Boulder, Colorado, in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C., in May, are two recent incidents of anti-Jewish violence that have rocked communities in the U.S. Advertisement Read More: The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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And now, the American political divide has turned increasingly violent with political assassinations, assaults, Swatting, online threats, jackboot arrests, armed military in the city streets, and mutually destructive behavior.—
Thomas Cangelosi,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2025
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His freedom was seen as part of a broader effort to address destructive federal policies, including the Indian boarding-school system, which Peltier was subjected to.—
Nick Estes,
New Yorker,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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And in the process of owning your role in the unfortunate circumstances, remember, never blame your superior or the board in a public forum.—
Carol Geffner,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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While Malle is clearly qualified to oversee editorial content, the timing is unfortunate for her chances.—
Laurie Brookins,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruinous. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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