1
as in to bankrupt
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 to destroy
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 to devastate
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
1
as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
a vicious bombardment that left the building in ruins
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wreck
ruins plural
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
the ruins of an abandoned abbey
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in bankruptcy
the inability to pay one's debts
the family faces ruin if the chief breadwinner doesn't find another job very soon
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4
as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life
the politician's eventual ruin would be a sexual indiscretion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruin
Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
Coming back from their honeymoon, John and Carolyn are more in love than ever, but the mob of photographers waiting for them ruins their intimate moment.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Awilda Esteras, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
In the clip below, Israa returns to Syria, searching for familiar places from her childhood amid the ruins of war.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
The president, who admits this all could be challenged in court, urged the panel to back the SCORE Act, which would preempt state regulation of NIL payments, which the Commander in Chief says are especially ruining women’s sports.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
Coming back from their honeymoon, John and Carolyn are more in love than ever, but the mob of photographers waiting for them ruins their intimate moment.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Two South Florida condominium association bankruptcy filings from the last several months reaffirm how litigation costs and losses can lead to financial ruin for associations.
—Awilda Esteras, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
In the clip below, Israa returns to Syria, searching for familiar places from her childhood amid the ruins of war.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
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Trailing in most polls to a center-right challenger who has promised to restore Hungary's Western alliances and end its dependence on Russian energy, Orbán has ramped up unfounded accusations that Kyiv and the European Union seek to bankrupt Hungary by forcing it to financially assist Ukraine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Once the world’s leading producer, it was bankrupted by China’s price dumping.—
Markos Kounalakis,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Weeks later, his father was killed in a fire that destroyed the home Hamlin purchased to thank his parents for getting him into NASCAR.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said its systems intercepted and destroyed 10 drones over the capital, Riyadh, and the kingdom’s eastern region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tens of thousands of giant sequoia seedlings and saplings are sprouting in a Sierra Nevada grove devastated by the 2021 KNP Complex fire.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The youngest in a family of famous actors, Carradine had been devastated by the death in 2009 of his half-brother David Carradine in a Bangkok hotel room and never quite recovered, the actor admitted over the years.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction famously took on the traditional ideas of the hero’s journey and destruction in storytelling, arguing that the earliest human tool was not a weapon, but a container, such as a bag, a basket, or even a net, designed for gathering and storing food.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Mar. 2026
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While humans have learned to harness the wind to create clean energy, there’s no way to stop hurricane-force winds or tornadoes that cause destruction.—
Sheryl De Vore,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Transfers and car wrecks and injuries and Simeon Cottle — the best player on the team and maybe in Conference USA — being accused of point-shaving.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In the wreck, a vehicle hit the Scofield Avenue undercrossing.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The trouble began in September of last year via the back-to-back bankruptcies of two companies fueled by loads of cheap debt subprime auto lender Tricolor, and car-part-maker First Brands.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
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In a February report, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles found that the likelihood of personal bankruptcy rose 25% to 30% in the years after a state legalized online sports gambling.—
Suzanne King,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The beginning of the downfall of Andrew, everyone agrees, can be traced to that fateful 2019 Newsnight interview where Andrew confirmed his connection with Epstein.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
15 Mar. 2026
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Point guard Pat Bala scored 13 points San Juan Hills contributed to its downfall with 19 runovers and by giving up 15 offensive rebounds to the Gators.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Chargers, meanwhile, take an offensive lineman to address the need that haunted them all last season after they were ravaged by injuries up front.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
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Buenos Aires, at the time, was ravaged by the disease, and Prager says that project was one of the most meaningful of his life.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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