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
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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
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
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruin
Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
Since the premiere of the movie, Lively has accused Baldoni of participating in a deliberate smear campaign to ruin the actress' reputation.
—Lauryn Overhultz, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
Derek M. Norman, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
Sifting through the sands of the Egyptian desert, archaeologists looked for the telltale signs of ancient ruins.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ruin 
Verb
The two Little Havana businessmen who sued Carollo claim two dozen city officials followed Carollo’s orders in a vendetta to ruin them.
—Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
Since the premiere of the movie, Lively has accused Baldoni of participating in a deliberate smear campaign to ruin the actress' reputation.
—Lauryn Overhultz, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
Today, pocket-size family farmsteads on the canyon floor, often tucked against sheer walls, coexist with the ancient ruins and rock art.
—Derek M. Norman, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
Sifting through the sands of the Egyptian desert, archaeologists looked for the telltale signs of ancient ruins.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
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Further, the tax, levied at extraction, would be borne by the entity enjoying the economic benefit of the well—rather than trying to chase down some marginal entity that never turned a profit or may have existed purely to be bankrupted and evade liability.—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes,
7 Jan. 2025
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There are more young people involved: Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun), a former rapper, lost all his money in a cryptocurrency scam pushed by YouTuber Lee Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan), who was bankrupted as well (he’s also wanted for fraud), along with his former girlfriend, Kim Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri).—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Some 12,000 structures — buildings and cars — have been destroyed so far, and with them many tons of property of all levels of sentimental meaning.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Jan. 2025
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In turn, Jod destroyed the Supervisor, shutting down the safety droids and causing a blackout in the city.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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What Happened in Hawaii? In August 2023, the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, on the northwest coast of the island of Maui, was devastated by a raging wildfire which killed 102 people and displaced thousands.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
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Our friends and our neighbors have lost homes, and entire communities have been devastated, and there’s still more work to do.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Teddy and Andy Leonard, owners of the Reel Inn, confirmed the destruction of their restaurant on Instagram, and stated that all of their restaurant staff were safe.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2025
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The 2025 Field & Stream lineup comes after last year’s festival (which was to be its inaugural year) was postponed due to the destruction Hurricane Helene brought to the Carolinas and other states.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The six victims were leaving Pero Family Farms on State Road 7 near Atlantic Avenue at the time of the wreck.—
Michael Dorgan,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Of those, 35 involved an injury — the same number of total wrecks reported during that timeframe a week earlier.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Joann operates 829 stores across 49 states around the U.S. and its stores and website will remain open for business during the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process.—
Mark Faithfull,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
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That deal is expected to close in June, and those assets are not part of the bankruptcy filing.—
Caitlin Owens,
Axios,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The new paper doesn’t solve the mystery of whether lead poisoning played a role in Rome’s downfall.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
7 Jan. 2025
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Her videos shared an intimate view of her family's life and had more than 2.5 million subscribers before her downfall.—
Audrey Conklin,
Fox News,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office confirmed the death toll from the wildfires ravaging the area has risen to 16.—
JAE HONG,
arkansasonline.com,
12 Jan. 2025
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Heat are scheduled to play Monday at the Clippers and Wednesday at the Lakers -- both games still on as of Saturday night despite the ravaging L.A. wildfires.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ruin
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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