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
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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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruin
Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
There is even Depardieu’s own late son, Guillaume, whose death at age thirty-seven was hastened along by heroin use that had ruined his health, and over whom Ferrara recalls Depardieu shedding copious tears during one of their early meetings.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
At the very southern end of the Netherlands just outside Maastricht is the Velvet Cave, an 11th- or 12th-century network of underground passages beneath the ruins of Valkenburg Castle.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
The plot to ruin baseball hit a snag on Friday night.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
There is even Depardieu’s own late son, Guillaume, whose death at age thirty-seven was hastened along by heroin use that had ruined his health, and over whom Ferrara recalls Depardieu shedding copious tears during one of their early meetings.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
Gaza’s economy has been buried in the ruins.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
At the very southern end of the Netherlands just outside Maastricht is the Velvet Cave, an 11th- or 12th-century network of underground passages beneath the ruins of Valkenburg Castle.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
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In 2025, healthcare costs have the potential to bankrupt even millionaires.—
Alex Ohnona,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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Fifth Third Bancorp, for example, saw a jump in profit even as its credit losses grew due to exposure to bankrupt subprime auto lender Tricolor.—
Liz Napolitano,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Japanese battleship Musashi, one of the largest ever built, was destroyed.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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Russian air defense systems destroyed one drone heading for Moscow, the city’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Sunday, according to Reuters.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Then, heat waves in 2024 devastated some northern colonies that had demonstrated more resilience.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
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This happened when Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last year.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The viral photos and videos of the destruction have elicited strong emotions for many Americans.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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As time passes, pressure increases, communication falters, and every decision carries the weight of potential destruction.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Russia may be using the wreck of the MS Estonia–a Baltic Sea ferry that sank in 1994–as a training ground and strategic base for covert underwater surveillance operations targeting NATO forces, independent European investigators have said in a new report.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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Officials investigating the wreck in Florida said Singh failed English and road sign tests.—
Greg Wehner , Bill Melugin,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Rubies sold the majority of its assets to an investment group that included Atalaya Capital Management during bankruptcy in 2020.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
24 Oct. 2025
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In addition, the Social Security Administration faces a looming bankruptcy date if it is not addressed by Congress.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Aeschylus’s telling of the myth includes the detail that Prometheus has a role as a data harvester of sorts, armed with information that helps Zeus and the Titans come to power, but also information about Zeus’s eventual downfall.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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Lorch’s downfall in 2002 was an earthquake in the city’s youth-basketball circles.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many lives have been ravaged by drug addiction and incarceration.—
Grace Byron,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
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Tuberculosis ravaged his body, and typing thousands of words a day only weakened him further.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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