ruining

verb

present participle of ruin
1
as in bankrupting
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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2
as in destroying
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 wrecking
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

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 ruining The Horned Frogs crushed the Tar Heels 48-14 in last year’s season opener at Chapel Hill, ruining the college coaching debut of six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 So, are invasives ruining the state’s waters, or is the state on the way to becoming the everyman’s Amazon, embraced by the folks who can’t afford the jungle lodge experience? — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026 For a full breakdown of how to clean your bedding without ruining it, refer to AD's guide on how to wash a comforter. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 Aug. 2026 This allegedly caused the cancellation of school recesses, and also ruining weddings and funerals. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 Tibbetts wants fans to blame outside agitators for ruining the league's momentum. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026 High heat can turn liquid glue into a runny consistency, which leads to leaks, potentially ruining your car seats or floor mats. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 9 Aug. 2026 Tarik Skubal did not go into last week expecting to be the latest avatar for the Los Angeles Dodgers ruining baseball. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Shop additional Ilia beauty products below, and don’t fret about the heat ruining your glam. — Jennifer Chan, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruining
  1. bankrupting
  2. destroying
  3. wrecking
  4. ravaging
  5. demolishing
  6. devastating
  7. shattering
Verb
  • Sometimes the very entities owning these hospitals and nursing homes are purposely bankrupting them, pillaging them of their value to maximize the owners’ profits.
    — Peter Ubel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • At a June forum for county executive candidates, former Legislator Dan Tarwater III said that the lawsuit could cost up to $1 billion in payouts, potentially bankrupting Jackson County.
    — Ilana Arougheti July 23, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Definition of bankrupting
Verb
  • Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags moved toward beachside migrant camps last week, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart, according to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE and news agency EFE.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Several homeowners near Meta’s massive Newton County data center have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech company and others of tainting their water and destroying their rural way of life.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • In a May interview on The Pivot Podcast, Davis blamed his opioid abuse for wrecking his home life.
    — Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The 1982-83 winter season, which coincided with a very strong El Niño, was historically destructive for California’s coast, with storms wrecking the Santa Monica and Seal Beach piers.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrecking
Verb
  • But Vicente dismisses global heating as the main reason for the fires that are ravaging Europe.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The resumption of classes comes in the middle of a ravaging disease outbreak that is spreading rapidly.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravaging
Verb
  • Mansfield Timberview signaled state-title ambitions by demolishing West Mesquite 69-7, while White Settlement Brewer knocked off Class 6A Haltom 31-14 to open Class 5A play.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026
  • While members of the public and the architectural community have criticized the Rike Tubes for altering the character of Tbilisi’s historic old town, some favored relocating them to a more suitable setting rather than demolishing them.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of demolishing
Verb
  • Over 150 people have been killed and hundreds more are missing after devastating flash floods swept through the Himalayan region along the Nepal-Tibet border, officials from both countries confirmed Wednesday.
    — Callum Sutherland, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • And that roads budget included the funding to take care of the existing roads, which would have been devastating ecologically and socially, because if these roads keep falling off the hillsides, then people can’t use them.
    — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • The video shows a customer walking out of Cinnaholic when the girls ride the scooter through the window, shattering the glass.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Wednesday, which was forecast to be the hottest day of the heat wave, brought record-shattering temperatures across the Southland.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of shattering

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Cite this Entry

“Ruining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruining. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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