1
as in downfall
something that is the cause of one's ultimate failure or loss of life
neglect and indifference have proved to be the ruination of more than one marriage
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in destruction
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
although this is a setback, it isn't complete ruination for the company
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruination
The one-time ingenue made gallows humor out of her ruination, glorying in the cracks and croaks of her voice.
—
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025
The aftershocks of the Vietnam War and the ruination of family legacy also came into play in Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).
—Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
Athens used its financial power to abuse its allies and in doing so precipitated its own ruination.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 24 Jan. 2020
There’s a scene, an almost 14-minute long take, that centers on Otilia at her boyfriend’s birthday party, saying next to nothing, as the elders around her lambaste her generation for the ruination of traditional values.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruination
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025
The aftershocks of the Vietnam War and the ruination of family legacy also came into play in Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).
—Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
Athens used its financial power to abuse its allies and in doing so precipitated its own ruination.
—Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 24 Jan. 2020
There’s a scene, an almost 14-minute long take, that centers on Otilia at her boyfriend’s birthday party, saying next to nothing, as the elders around her lambaste her generation for the ruination of traditional values.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruination
Noun
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Have a mimosa and toast to the downfall of crappy men in music!—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
30 May 2025
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Coming from the company of her ex-boyfriend, who had broken off all contact with her after her downfall, the demands of repayment contributed to the mental state that resulted in Kim Sae-ron’s death, according to her family.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
Noun
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What makes that even scarier is that Florida’s road record — an .800 win percentage matched by only 17 other teams in the modern era — actually undersells the destruction.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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The book also examines the growing movement to grant legal rights to rivers as a way to prevent their destruction by corporations and governments, which are themselves protected by a vast array of legal rights.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Smoke follows a detective (Jurnee Smollett) and an arson investigator (Taron Egerton) who are trying to catch a pair of serial arsonists wreaking fiery havoc across the Pacific Northwest.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
28 May 2025
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Infusing the trenches with Allen and Hargrave should make for more havoc in one-on-one matchups.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
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In comparison with background levels of extinction, all of our sources said that current extinction rates are much higher.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
29 May 2025
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The researchers’ hauls add to a growing body of evidence from Maine to Florida that Atlantic sturgeon are slowly staging a comeback since overfishing brought them to the edge of extinction in the U.S. during the 20th century.—
Benjamin Cassidy,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Being moved to the rear of the field also resulted in the loss of Ericsson's and Kirkwood's prize money and the championship points from their original finishes.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
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One of the key themes of Part II is the fact that everyone is only seeing things from their perspective; all these characters who are suffering loss and passing that suffering on to others are doing so in ignorance.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2025
Noun
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The plan has faced opposition from preservationists due to the demolition of the old auditorium, but county officials emphasize the project’s cultural significance and adherence to timelines.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
7 June 2025
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In that fatal accident, DOB issued multiple violations for work without a permit — including demolition in progress of a walk-in freezer and a commercial kitchen — and for failing to maintain the structure.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruination. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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