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
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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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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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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
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Recent Examples of ruin
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025
That was our sole reason for flying to Paris, and our trip was ruined.
—Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025
Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2025
Palestinians say the blockade could lead to starvation among the 2.3 million people living in Gaza's ruins.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
Now to the contentious question, the one that could ruin a few Thanksgivings for years to come: Is Jokic the best individual player in Denver’s sports history?
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025
That was our sole reason for flying to Paris, and our trip was ruined.
—Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
Various large-scale volcanic eruptions over the past two thousand years have also damaged or destroyed many Pre-Columbian artifacts and ruins.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2025
Palestinians say the blockade could lead to starvation among the 2.3 million people living in Gaza's ruins.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
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If every missile defense system goes down tomorrow and every national bank is bankrupted tomorrow, the world is going to be in chaos.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
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Gun rights groups argue that Mexico is trying to bankrupt the U.S. firearms industry and undermine the Second Amendment.—
Whitney Eulich,
The Christian Science Monitor,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Taking on the role of a teenage boy named Chrono, players have to travel through time and assemble a team to stop a horrifying creature named Lavos from destroying the world.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2025
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Residents of states that have been impacted by this weekend's storms have posted photos online showing their homes destroyed by the tornadoes, with roofs fallen completely off, walls caved in and debris on lawns.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Last year, parts of the U.S. were devastated by hurricanes such as Helene and Milton.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
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The Asheville area was devastated in September by Hurricane Helene, with thousands of people displaced and businesses destroyed or temporarily closed.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The war at its height displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population and has caused vast destruction across the territory.—
Ibrahim Hazboun,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
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Given Björk’s ongoing activism through song, the film will also curate a postapocalyptic utopia, void of environmental destruction.—
Kalia Richardson,
Rolling Stone,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Since his car wreck in February 2021, Woods has not played a consistent schedule.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
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Luke Peterson, from Highlands Ranch, was killed in the March 16 wreck, the Douglas County Coroner’s Office confirmed in a March 19 email to McClatchy News.—
Sara Schilling,
Sacramento Bee,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The company also warned that bankruptcy is an option for the regional sports network if can’t refinance its $804 million in debt that originally came due last Oct. 11.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
14 Mar. 2025
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While the bankruptcy procedure freed him from his debt obligations, his credit score took a dip.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Conventional wisdom attributes Cromwell’s downfall to his role in organizing the disastrous match.—
Meilan Solly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 Mar. 2025
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After analyzing unsolved true crimes leads to massive popularity followed by a controversial downfall, Woo Sang attempts to reclaim his crown by tracking the notorious Hemline Serial Killer in real time — only to discover the killer has been watching his broadcast.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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No broken bottle is going to keep him from ravaging his prey.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
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Pam's body was ravaged from arthritis caused by the accident.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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