Synonyms of ruins

ruins 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of ruin

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

• bankrupts
• busts
• breaks
• reduces
• impoverishes
• beggars
• wipes out
• pauperizes
• cleans (out)
• straitens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enriches
• richens

2

as in ravages

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action

tornadoes ruined a wide swath of the county

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ravages
• destroys
• devastates
• wrecks
• scourges
• plunders
• despoils
• desolates
• shatters
• overwhelms
• obliterates
• loots
• pillages
• sacks
• wipes out
• vaporizes
• annihilates
• eradicates
• strips
• wastes
• wracks
• forays
• demolishes
• decimates
• expunges
• extirpates
• harries
• extinguishes
• nukes
• marauds
• smashes
• totals
• razes
• rubs out
• mows
• overthrows
• overruns
• overpowers
• crushes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restores
• recovers
• redeems
• repairs
• rehabilitates
• fixes
• reconditions
• mends
• patches
• revamps

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• destroys
• wrecks
• demolishes
• shatters
• devastates
• smashes
• damages
• wastes
• ravages
• overcomes
• erodes
• desolates
• annihilates
• decimates
• razes
• mars
• vaporizes
• extinguishes
• wracks
• cripples
• pulverizes
• tears down
• pulls down
• nukes
• totals
• kills
• rubs out
• crushes
• defeats
• dismantles
• breaks
• does in
• injures
• creams
• blasts
• spoils
• removes
• masters
• subdues
• conquers
• disfigures
• disintegrates
• prevails (over)
• deteriorates
• harms
• wins (against)
• impairs
• overbears
• triumphs (over)
• licks
• dissolves
• surmounts
• defaces
• routs
• mutilates
• bests
• dynamites
• obliterates
• vitiates
• sweeps (away)
• clobbers
• trims
• despoils
• mangles
• eradicates
• overmatches
• scours
• trounces
• guts
• unmakes
• thrashes
• washes out
• vandalizes
• exterminates
• blows up
• wipes out
• plunders
• stamps (out)
• undoes
• beats
• slaughters
• murders
• loots
• effaces
• wears (away)
• whips
• scotches
• assassinates
• wallops
• extirpates
• expunges
• takes down
• roots (out)
• pillages
• tramples
• disassembles
• sacks
• blots out
• cuts down
• liquidates
• slays
• trashes
• unbuilds
• kills off
• dilapidates
• drubs
• massacres
• snuffs (out)
• mows (down)
• takes out
• dispatches
• fells
• zaps
• executes
• skunks
• havocs
• butchers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• builds
• constructs
• repairs
• raises
• doctors
• sets up
• creates
• erects
• rears
• fixes
• forms
• manufactures
• produces
• makes
• shapes
• fathers
• constitutes
• puts up
• invents
• institutes
• protects
• establishes
• preserves
• frames
• fashions
• assembles
• founds
• patches
• mends
• brings about
• saves
• reconditions
• organizes
• revamps
• restores
• conserves
• forges
• molds
• reconstructs
• fabricates
• rebuilds
• renovates
• remodels

ruins

2 of 2

noun

plural of ruin

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

• rubble
• debris
• wreckage
• remains
• remnant
• ashes
• wreck
• detritus
• residue
• flotsam
• dust
• garbage
• junk
• leavings
• litter
• rubbish
• trash
• refuse
• jetsam
• scrap
• chaff
• waste
• dross
• deadwood
• riffraff

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ruins

Verb

The Carhartt Mansion ruins in Rock Hill are the remains of a lavish 1909 homestead built by workwear founder Hamilton Carhartt, who once owned three miles of land along the Catawba River. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026

That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them. — New Atlas, 24 July 2026

Hikers follow ancient stone pathways built by the Inca civilization, crossing cloud forests, high mountain passes, and ruins scattered along the route. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

Don’t leave without taking a peek at the castle wall ruins, still picturesque even though the 10th-century Moorish structure is long gone. — Jennifer Fernández Solano, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

The country packs a lot into a relatively small footprint, from ancient Maya ruins to world-class diving along the world’s second-largest barrier reef. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026

Nothing ruins a great outfit like unsightly clothing wrinkles and stubborn creases. — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 18 July 2026

Then, the adults in the family attend a concert in the Borgholm Castle ruins. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026

Nothing ruins a good karaoke night like that one friend who wants to show off their Mariah Carey–level pipes. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 6 July 2026

Noun

The production used cliff-top industrial ruins, working harbor settings and historic churches around Cornwall to build its atmosphere. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026

The archeological ruins of the Villa of Tiberius, the Roman emperor who ruled from 17 to 42 CE, were long rumored to lie somewhere between Rome and Naples. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026

Video from the Spokane area showed buildings on fire, black smoke billowing up near neighborhoods, and the smoking ruins of homes, with only chimneys still standing. — John Hanna, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

The journey combines outdoor adventure with the history and culture of the Inca civilization, weaving through cloud forest, high mountain passes and stone-cut ruins before ending at Machu Picchu. — Ashley Lynch july 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

What happened Search teams have rescued eight people from the ruins of a shopping center after a powerful earthquake struck the southern Japanese island of Kyushu on Tuesday. — Arion McNicoll, TheWeek, 29 July 2026

Silberbusch said Zardoya fell from the ruins while the group of friends was on a boating tour of the island. — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026

Left to the elements, Hashima’s tower blocks have since collapsed into skeletal ruins, their corridors eroded by vegetation and sea spray. — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026

The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Turkey’s most fascinating historic destinations. — Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 27 July 2026