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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ruin
Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 1 June 2025
And, if the Dodgers spend $1 billion on free agents, win, spend another half-billion on free agents, and return to the World Series, are the Dodgers ruining baseball?
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 May 2025
The question of whether the studio can still produce a solo RPG experience on the level of the false god dethronement of Morrowind or the D.C. ruin excavation of Fallout 3 remains open.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 1 June 2025
And, if the Dodgers spend $1 billion on free agents, win, spend another half-billion on free agents, and return to the World Series, are the Dodgers ruining baseball?
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
Noun
Icon will release the film in the UK and Ireland
Written by Johnson and Austin Collings, Odyssey follows an ambitious real estate agent called Natasha Flynn who lives every day on the verge of total success–or ruin.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 May 2025
The question of whether the studio can still produce a solo RPG experience on the level of the false god dethronement of Morrowind or the D.C. ruin excavation of Fallout 3 remains open.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
-
After all, more than half of the Fortune 500 companies from 2000 no longer exist, having been bankrupted, acquired or pushed out of existence, largely due to some form of digital disruption.—
Chandra Pemmasani,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
-
But that only attracted sharp bettors, who nearly bankrupted the startup.—
Will Yakowicz,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Another key feature of algae oil is its high smoke point of 535 degrees—the temperature at which oil begins to break down, release dangerous chemicals, and destroy its nutrients.—
Jonathan Purtell,
Verywell Health,
27 May 2025
-
During the week of my embed, the Russian military identified and destroyed a few of the Vampire pilots’ positions.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
Sand, breeze blocks, storm shutters—these are materials of survival and exclusion, shaped by the hurricanes that regularly devastate her homeland.—
Nargess Banks,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
The famed Pacific Coast Highway, State Route 1, has been closed since Jan. 7, 2025 as a result of the Palisades Fire which devastated the surrounding community.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
What makes that even scarier is that Florida’s road record — an .800 win percentage matched by only 17 other teams in the modern era — actually undersells the destruction.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
-
The book also examines the growing movement to grant legal rights to rivers as a way to prevent their destruction by corporations and governments, which are themselves protected by a vast array of legal rights.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
The smaller vehicles were deployed from the larger research vessel the Atlantis, which floated above the wreck.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 May 2025
-
Authorities have not identified the second person who died in the wreck, pending notification of family members.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Filings show that as many as 58 homebuyers have been affected by the company's sudden bankruptcy filing, as reported by Realtor.com.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
-
Rising Consumer Debt From a consumer standpoint, individual bankruptcy filings in March reached a level not previously seen since the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Jonathan Carson,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Have a mimosa and toast to the downfall of crappy men in music!—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
30 May 2025
-
Coming from the company of her ex-boyfriend, who had broken off all contact with her after her downfall, the demands of repayment contributed to the mental state that resulted in Kim Sae-ron’s death, according to her family.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
The council also scaled back the number of new hires the mayor proposed for the Los Angeles Fire Department in the wake of the wildfire that ravaged huge stretches of Pacific Palisades.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
-
Numerous celebrities, including Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton and Milo Ventimiglia lost their homes in the ravaging blaze.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share