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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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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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.
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Recent Examples of ruin
Claire Franken, TVLine, 23 Feb. 2025
For more From Wirecutter, how to prevent a lost phone from ruining your life.
—Melissa Kirsch, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 18 Feb. 2025
Go up the ramp on the north side of the area and follow the path around, then climb up on the thick tree branch to get atop the ruins, where the beads are lying next to a corpse.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Verb
What’s your take: Is relationship amnesia ruining Love Is Blind Season 8?
—Claire Franken, TVLine, 23 Feb. 2025
For more From Wirecutter, how to prevent a lost phone from ruining your life.
—Melissa Kirsch, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
Learn more about Siamese history at the ruins of Sukhothai Historical Park, which holds 21 historical sites, including temples and old city ruins from several stages of Thailand’s history.
—Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 18 Feb. 2025
Go up the ramp on the north side of the area and follow the path around, then climb up on the thick tree branch to get atop the ruins, where the beads are lying next to a corpse.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
Verb
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The stop order has paralyzed U.S. aid programs around the world, bankrupting fragile local aid groups and small businesses and putting lives at risk.—
Andrew Natsios,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Feb. 2025
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Ukraine's drone operations are designed to bankrupt Moscow's ability to continue funding the war, and the damage on oil production and processing facilities has also impacted Russia's economy.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Prominent right-wing Israeli politicians called to destroy Israel's enemies in response.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2025
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Baldoni countersued, accusing Lively, Reynolds and Sloane of seeking to destroy his career.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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When wildfires devastated Los Angeles earlier this year, Bobbie provided formula for families who lost their homes.—
Eliana Dockterman,
TIME,
20 Feb. 2025
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But with the ceremony taking place at the Pasadena Civic Center on Saturday, Feb. 22, just six weeks after Los Angeles was devastated by a series of wildfires, the celebration takes on a new tenor.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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For the United States, high rates of job destruction—even if accompanied by faster productivity growth—could be devastating politically.—
Matthew J. Slaughter,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
-
This is the mandatory minimum sentence for individuals convicted of malicious destruction of a building by means of fire, according to prosecutors.—
Julia Marnin,
Sacramento Bee,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Both the lower-series races saw their share of wrecks and lead changes, building up to the anticipated Ambetter Health 400 at 3 p.m. Sunday.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Feb. 2025
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Hamlin was leading the race at the time of the last-lap crash, before Cole Custer turned into him to trigger the wreck that Byron avoided for victory.—
Jordan Bianchi,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Forever 21 is closing stores as the fast-fashion retailer's U.S. operator is considering bankruptcy, five years after the company escaped Chapter 11, according to multiple reports.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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The safeguards are important, the lawmakers said, because identity theft or bankruptcy can mean a loss of a security clearance or the end of a service member’s career.—
Melissa Chan,
NBC News,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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What was the reason for the downfall of the Song dynasty?—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
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Spoiler alert ahead At the end of the show (spoiler alert), next to depictions of the downfall of a wellness scammer, the audience sees Lucy going for her chemotherapy treatments while also doing yoga, taking ice baths and meditating.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Syria, totally ravaged by war, needs an entirely new political settlement.—
Maha Yahya,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Feb. 2025
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Activists and health workers have spent many years building trust in communities ravaged by HIV, fighting shame and stigma to bring the pandemic out of the shadows.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
The Christian Science Monitor,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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