Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Medical care for those serious conditions is expensive, and could have bankrupted someone with inadequate insurance.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2025
The council scaled back its town regeneration plan by £40m this year, claiming not doing so "would have bankrupted us".
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2024
And prosecutors could mobilize further resources to pursue a legal case against a minister for years—a case that would have bankrupted him, had it not been for generous donations from friends and allies.
From Slate ● Jun. 21, 2022
After labor actions in Juneau, Alaska, a court in 1949 awarded one company a $750,000 judgment that could have bankrupted the I.L.W.U.’s umbrella organization.
From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2019
“You must have bankrupted your kingdom for such a reward, my friend.”
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
