ruins 1 of 2

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ruins

2 of 2

noun

plural of ruin

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruins
Verb
  • Development not only disturbs or destroys the soil, but wipes out habitat.
    Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
  • First, allowing utilities to own generation destroys the competitive market.
    Mary Beth Tung, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The real heroes are the medics treating the wounded under rubble, the journalists livestreaming amidst bomb blasts, and the people who keep marching for their right to exist.
    Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
  • The semi-persistent changes in scenery also do a good job of highlighting the Switch 2's hardware, which doesn't seem to drop a single frame, even as the rubble flies and the ground's shape morphs under Donkey Kong's persistent punching.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
Noun
  • This could include dead plants, piles of leaves, stones, or other debris.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 21 July 2025
  • The debris collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
Noun
  • Despite shifting networks and stunt-casting judges, the genre lies in the wreckage of itself.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 July 2025
  • The memorial service will provide that opportunity for the swimmers to celebrate their journey and remember the 29 men who died in the wreckage.
    Emma George-Griffin, Freep.com, 15 July 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ruins

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!