1
as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life
neglect and indifference have proved to be the ruination of more than one marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
although this is a setback, it isn't complete ruination for the company
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruination
The only thing that would satisfy the gremlin in me is the ruination of my freedom.
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
And to think that many thought MLB Free Agency in 1976 was the ruination of the sport.
—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Advertisement What’s perhaps most critical around the plague is its embodiment of feelings of destruction and ruination.
—
Nathan Smith,
Time,
26 Nov. 2025
Wedding fundraising pages are not invoices that require payment under threat of credit ruination.
—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruination
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
And to think that many thought MLB Free Agency in 1976 was the ruination of the sport.
—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Advertisement What’s perhaps most critical around the plague is its embodiment of feelings of destruction and ruination.
—
Nathan Smith,
Time,
26 Nov. 2025
Wedding fundraising pages are not invoices that require payment under threat of credit ruination.
—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruination
Noun
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That would be his downfall on Monday, too, hitting his putt a little too hard.
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The Sound and The Fury Told by four narrators in a stream of consciousness writing style, this 1929 story describes the downfall of a wealthy Southern aristocratic family, the Compsons.
Noun
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Rodríguez said authorities have recorded 862 aftershocks since the main quakes and confirmed that 189 buildings collapsed completely nationwide, the vast majority in La Guaira, the coastal state that suffered the worst destruction.
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Our previous card featured the fiery destruction of the Missouri Pacific depot in 1909.
Noun
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Following years of economic devastation and underinvestment in public services, the country’s infrastructure – from hospitals to electricity and water – is ill-equipped to deal with a crisis like this.
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And then there's water damage and the devastation caused by flooding.
Noun
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The beloved southern elephant seal, Neil the Seal, is back in Tasmania, causing havoc yet again and garnering fans through his antics.
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Those same issues have ships and planes on high alert in the Middle East, and the ongoing conflict across the region is causing havoc for civilian applications like ride-hailing and food delivery.
Noun
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Although this is likely an underestimate, due to insufficient data on more than half of North America's firefly species, at least 18 species are officially listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as threatened with extinction.
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The fossils date to the Paleocene Epoch, the first 10 million years after the end-Cretaceous extinction, during which mammals rapidly diversified as ecosystems slowly recovered.
Noun
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The congregation started to arrive at the usual time, about half an hour before Mass on a recent Saturday afternoon, the old church slowly filling with the descendants and caretakers of a place of great serenity but also great loss.
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Fireflies are facing growing challenges from habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change and light pollution.
Noun
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The Robeson site developer ultimately began demolition on that site over the winter, so the city did not have to carry out receivership there.
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Project Purple is being built about two years after the demolition of Kingda Ka, the park's iconic launch coaster that stood 456 feet tall before it was removed in early 2025.
Cite this Entry
“Ruination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruination. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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