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
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Recent Examples of ruining
After all, plenty of cocktail enthusiasts already complain about mosquitoes ruining a summer evening.
—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
25 June 2026
Adidas’s everyday sneakers can handle 20,000 steps without ruining an outfit, perfectly balancing cool with comfy.
—
Kaelin Dodge,
InStyle,
22 June 2026
This is how to clean a ceramic pan without ruining it.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
21 June 2026
The Cowboys are like most NFL teams that roll out a synthetic surface that has a grass feel, and is vastly superior to the old knee-ruining ways of AstroTurf.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
The Dodgers are ruining baseball!
—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
The fire, which took place on June 17 had destroyed around half of the first floor of the house, in addition to ruining merchandise, leading the store to close.
—
Velvet Wu,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2026
The antics each week involved lovable Gilligan ruining a plan to get the gang rescued, but also ogling the bombshell Ginger (Tina Louise) and getting annoyed by Thurston Howell III (Jim Backus).
—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
25 June 2026
Adidas’s everyday sneakers can handle 20,000 steps without ruining an outfit, perfectly balancing cool with comfy.
—
Kaelin Dodge,
InStyle,
22 June 2026
This is how to clean a ceramic pan without ruining it.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
21 June 2026
The Cowboys are like most NFL teams that roll out a synthetic surface that has a grass feel, and is vastly superior to the old knee-ruining ways of AstroTurf.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
The Dodgers are ruining baseball!
—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
The fire, which took place on June 17 had destroyed around half of the first floor of the house, in addition to ruining merchandise, leading the store to close.
—
Velvet Wu,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2026
The antics each week involved lovable Gilligan ruining a plan to get the gang rescued, but also ogling the bombshell Ginger (Tina Louise) and getting annoyed by Thurston Howell III (Jim Backus).
—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruining
Verb
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Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.
-
Among its many distinctions, SPLC is known for bankrupting the Ku Klux Klan.
Verb
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Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
-
But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
Verb
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The blaze remained confined to the wrecking yard property, despite briefly jumping a fence and igniting vegetation to the west.
-
The good news is that dermatologists and makeup artists have figured out how to keep your SPF topped up without wrecking your foundation, blush or setting spray.
Verb
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Forty years ago, when the AIDS epidemic was ravaging New York, some Southern Baptists described it as God’s judgment—a punishment for its victims’ life style.
-
Temperatures have risen in oceans faster due to climate change, super-charging storms and drought, ravaging coral reefs across the world, and endangering species in tandem with overfishing and industrial pollution.
Verb
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Digital Realty already began demolishing the inside of the building, so Gray believed the agreement was set.
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But everyday people expressed their political outrage time and again, throwing rocks at and demolishing the houses of government officials, torching the king’s ships and forts and, eventually, marching to battle.
Verb
-
The co-writer thing was a total disaster, devastating on every level.
-
One week after devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, relief efforts in South Florida continue at a steady pace.
Verb
-
SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has minted thousands of new millionaires, unleashing a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
-
The record-shattering heat waves in Europe last week and in the western US in March are two recent examples.
Verb
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Powell is accused of smashing the mug over the victim's head.
-
France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week at the height of its record-smashing heat wave, the country's public health agency said Sunday, as the head of the World Health Organization warned that Europe is now the fastest-warming continent and needs to do more to protect its citizens.
Cite this Entry
“Ruining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruining. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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