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
Kabul, the capital, was in ruins resembling Dresden after World War II; various warlords were fighting block to block.
—
Peter Bergen, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Today, most of these facilities are in ruins, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
—Diaa Ostaz, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2025
Peace cannot be claimed while 69,000 Palestinians lie dead, Gaza remains in ruins and the region is being held together by coercion, not consensus.
—Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The designation was granted to Haiti after a string of natural and political disasters, starting with a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 that left the country and economy in ruins.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in ruins
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Peter Bergen, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Today, most of these facilities are in ruins, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
—Diaa Ostaz, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2025
Peace cannot be claimed while 69,000 Palestinians lie dead, Gaza remains in ruins and the region is being held together by coercion, not consensus.
—Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The designation was granted to Haiti after a string of natural and political disasters, starting with a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 that left the country and economy in ruins.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in ruins
Cite this Entry
“In ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20ruins. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
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