in ruins
idiom
: destroyed with some pieces or parts remaining
The building was/lay in ruins.
—sometimes used figurativelyAfter her death, the family was in ruins.
Examples of in ruins in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Though Breslau — unlike other German cities like Cologne and Hamburg — made it through the first five years of World War II remarkably intact, a Soviet bombing campaign from January to May 1945 left 80 percent of the city in ruins.
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Laura Moserb, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2024
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdrew its ground forces from the city in April after months of fierce fighting that left much of it in ruins.
—Kareem Khadder, CNN, 2 July 2024
Two weeks of heavy fighting left the hospital in ruins.
—Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
Today's is the white frame church in ruins following a tornado that killed more than 50 and destroyed or damaged every church in town except the Catholic one, which became a makeshift morgue.
—Ray Hanley, arkansasonline.com, 29 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for in ruins 
Laura Moserb, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2024
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdrew its ground forces from the city in April after months of fierce fighting that left much of it in ruins.
—Kareem Khadder, CNN, 2 July 2024
Two weeks of heavy fighting left the hospital in ruins.
—Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
Today's is the white frame church in ruins following a tornado that killed more than 50 and destroyed or damaged every church in town except the Catholic one, which became a makeshift morgue.
—Ray Hanley, arkansasonline.com, 29 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for in ruins
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in ruins.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“In ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20ruins. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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