ruin 1 of 2

verb

ˈrü-ən How to pronounce ruin (audio)
Definition of ruinnext
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

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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

ruin

2 of 2

noun

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

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
Verb
The out-and-back Sand Canyon Trail (6 miles each way) passes a series of ancestral Puebloan ruins. — Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 26 June 2026 Aimless after an injury threatens to ruin his career, Zeke finds genuine connection among the unlikely group. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Noun
The modern Miami metropolis was built over the ruins of an earlier civilization. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 The engineer flew in from Tampa to try and find her mother, sister, brother-in-law and nephew in the ruins of their nine-story apartment building, sleeping on the ground since arriving two nights ago. — Isa Soares, CNN Money, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ruin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruin
  1. bankrupt
  2. destroy
  3. devastate
  4. destruction
  5. wreck
  6. bankruptcy
  7. downfall
  8. ravage
Verb
  • The ruling was a victory for states, which said such claims could bankrupt them.
    — Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 23 June 2026
  • Most manufacturers were bankrupted by equipment failures and financial challenges, making the 1990s a tough time for wind power’s pioneers.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 15 June 2026
Definition of bankrupt
Verb
  • The most common type of dementia, which destroys memory and cognitive function, was responsible for 116,022 deaths in 2024, NCHS data shows.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • That book is a revenge fantasy about the former art school professor who seduced her, discarded her and destroyed her confidence as a painter.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 2 July 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • Twin earthquakes on June 24 devastated Venezuela, with more than 3,300 deaths and more than 30,000 people reported missing.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Their larvae, which burrow into the flesh of cattle and can be fatal if untreated, can devastate wildlife and bring financial ruin to ranchers.
    — Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of devastate
Noun
  • Rodríguez said authorities have recorded 862 aftershocks since the main quakes and confirmed that 189 buildings collapsed completely nationwide, the vast majority in La Guaira, the coastal state that suffered the worst destruction.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Our previous card featured the fiery destruction of the Missouri Pacific depot in 1909.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 July 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • Neither alcohol nor drugs appeared to factor in the fatal wreck.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026
  • Mental health support usually means stop ignoring the conditions that wreck performance.
    — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of wreck
Noun
  • Five years ago, the restaurant was saved from the brink of bankruptcy and closure by Stone and Parker, the team who created South Park and the Broadway show Book of Mormon.
    — Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Days later, the camp owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with documents showing their total debts exceeded $10 million.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of bankruptcy
Noun
  • That would be his downfall on Monday, too, hitting his putt a little too hard.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026
  • The Sound and The Fury Told by four narrators in a stream of consciousness writing style, this 1929 story describes the downfall of a wealthy Southern aristocratic family, the Compsons.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 June 2026
Definition of downfall
Verb
  • Shana McDiarmid and her now-boyfriend, Cameron, are another couple who benefitted from the foundation after their rental property was ravaged thanks to its proximity to the river.
    — Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
  • Were civic centers nothing more than Trojan horses designed to ravage humanities departments across the nation?
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of ravage

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Cite this Entry

“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruin. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of ruin for Spanish Speakers

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