1
as in bankrupts
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ravages
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
tornadoes ruined a wide swath of the county
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in destroys
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
as in rubble
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
the ruins of an abandoned abbey
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruins
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
In fact, some of the greatest novels are about how reading ruins lives—starting with the book often considered the first modern novel, Don Quixote.
—Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
Following an economic downturn and a devastating freeze that ruins the local citrus industry, the Sentinel and Reporter consolidate operations and become the Sentinel-Reporter.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
Fear is a powerful emotion that ruins our quality of life.
—Clay Stauffer, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Dec. 2025
Huchuy Qosqo Huchoy Qosqo in the Sacred Valley passes through picturesque countryside and rural communities, and ends at some of the best preserved, and least-visited, ruins in Peru.
—Thomas Robinson, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025
Emily ruins her stylish outfit with a giant Central Perk T-shirt, the spoils of war.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
What would be the point in merely listening to people look at legendary mountain views and Incan ruins?
—Ryan Knighton, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025
There are heated confrontations and a slap, and Alma ruins her shot at tenure after stealing a colleague's prescription pad to get more pain meds.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
In the ruins of the kitchen sat two cast-iron Le Creuset stew pots — the only survivors.
—Jonathan Taplin, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2026
Water, light, earth, and air are the city's treasures, with natural thermal baths, spas built atop ancient Roman ruins, and five-star hotels with amenities suited for royalty.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
There are still some facades, some ruins of the more historic buildings and the Palisades.
—Tonya Mosley, NPR, 5 Jan. 2026
Covering over 16 acres on the ruins of one of the island's many former sugar plantations, this lush garden is within a 15-minute drive of Frederiksted and brings new life to a historic destination.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2026
The crumbling ruins of the old motor court are still there, and a Ford Super Deluxe from the 1940s rusts in a field.
—Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
Gaza, which lies in ruins, is enduring a harsh winter, with heavy rain and plunging temperatures worsening already dire living conditions.
—CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026
The ruins were found in the great Portus Magnus of Alexandria, which is believed to hold the remnants of Cleopatra's palace complex.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
Verb
Following the adventures of the titular sheep, the franchise’s latest takes place at Mossy Bottom Farm on Halloween Eve, watching as excitement turns to dismay when the clumsy Farmer ruins the pumpkin patch.
—Noun
Caruso said the ruins should be torn down.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruins
Verb
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This horror ravages Africa far beyond Nigeria.—
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However, as a geostorm ravages Earth, Athena and Hen’s space mission teeters on the edge.—
Verb
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Accordingly, the treatments misprescribed can be ineffective at best and harmful at worst, all while the parasite further destroys the cornea.—
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The bill also establishes a Class A misdemeanor if someone, without authorization of the patients, alters, forges, conceals or destroys a request for medication or rescission of a request for medication to affect a health care decision.—
Noun
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An additional 684 people have been found dead in the rubble strewn across Gaza during the same period.—
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Wilman González, left with a black eye from a blast, picked through rubble at home, surrounded by broken furniture.—
Verb
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Americans are used to thinking about automation as something that devastates factory towns in the heartland.—
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The novel is about three teenagers experiencing the joy and angst of their senior year in a New York City high school as the AIDS crisis devastates their community.—
Verb
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This process wrecks kidney and heart tissue, causing the heart to enlarge and blood vessels to become stiffer, impeding circulation and setting the stage for clots.—
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The larger dragon has two car launchers and a fire-breathing effect that wrecks passing cars.—
Noun
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
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Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.—
Verb
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If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Noun
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The vehicle then caught fire, and Molina was pulled from the wreckage.—
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The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.—
Cite this Entry
“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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