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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ruins
Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Ancient Roman ruins sit alongside medieval churches and buildings rebuilt during the Yugoslavian era after a majority of the city’s buildings were destroyed when bombed by the Allies during World War II.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Nothing ruins a cozy night in faster than cold toes!
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
Defense ruins game plans and wins games in a league where the toughest come out on top.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Harsh White Light Bulbs Nothing ruins a festive mood faster than harsh white lightbulbs—and, no, the bulbs in your powder room are not an exception, Zook says.
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 28 May 2026
This scale quickly clogs ordinary solar stills, much like calcium buildup ruins your bathroom showerhead.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
There is Persian mythology and mysticism in the film, and ruins in Persian poetry are very significant places.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
The property’s main restaurant, Night Hawk, is Mediterranean, with cooking by open fire, a Greek ruins vibe and seating for about 150.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
Ancient Lycian ruins often appear directly above the waterline, while small fishing villages remain largely unchanged by mass tourism.
—Katia Damborsky, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
In Şanlıurfa, southeastern Turkey, sacred sites tied to the biblical figure of Abraham draw Jewish, Christian and Muslim pilgrims, while prehistoric ruins and vibrant food culture anchor a city where faith and history converge.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Far from a typical flea market, Monastiraki offers handmade leather goods, independent artisan crafts, clothing, secondhand books, antiques, traditional tavernas, street performers and historic ruins — all in one sprawling, walkable space.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
The best ones are woven into the historic fabric of the city itself, where browsing the stalls means walking past ancient ruins, sitting down for lunch at a traditional taverna and watching street performers do their thing — all in the same afternoon.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
One ship sank, one deserted, and the others spent weeks getting beaten up by the sea near Baffin Island before finally making it ashore to establish a mining camp, the ruins of which are still visible.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
The project of transforming Rome’s historic Palazzo Capponi into Romeo Roma took him 12 years, drawn out by structural challenges, and the discovery of archeological ruins mid-way through.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
There was no shame in shedding a few tears at ancient ruins.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Verb
Deep dives into childhood trauma sort of ruins it for everyone.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Ancient Roman ruins sit alongside medieval churches and buildings rebuilt during the Yugoslavian era after a majority of the city’s buildings were destroyed when bombed by the Allies during World War II.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Nothing ruins a cozy night in faster than cold toes!
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
Defense ruins game plans and wins games in a league where the toughest come out on top.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Harsh White Light Bulbs Nothing ruins a festive mood faster than harsh white lightbulbs—and, no, the bulbs in your powder room are not an exception, Zook says.
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 28 May 2026
This scale quickly clogs ordinary solar stills, much like calcium buildup ruins your bathroom showerhead.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
There is Persian mythology and mysticism in the film, and ruins in Persian poetry are very significant places.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
The property’s main restaurant, Night Hawk, is Mediterranean, with cooking by open fire, a Greek ruins vibe and seating for about 150.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Noun
Programming includes theatrical performances, poetry readings and concerts staged inside and around ancient ruins — a setting that is impossible to replicate at any other time of year, since most of these sites are not open after dark on ordinary days.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
Ancient Lycian ruins often appear directly above the waterline, while small fishing villages remain largely unchanged by mass tourism.
—Katia Damborsky, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
In Şanlıurfa, southeastern Turkey, sacred sites tied to the biblical figure of Abraham draw Jewish, Christian and Muslim pilgrims, while prehistoric ruins and vibrant food culture anchor a city where faith and history converge.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Far from a typical flea market, Monastiraki offers handmade leather goods, independent artisan crafts, clothing, secondhand books, antiques, traditional tavernas, street performers and historic ruins — all in one sprawling, walkable space.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
The best ones are woven into the historic fabric of the city itself, where browsing the stalls means walking past ancient ruins, sitting down for lunch at a traditional taverna and watching street performers do their thing — all in the same afternoon.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
One ship sank, one deserted, and the others spent weeks getting beaten up by the sea near Baffin Island before finally making it ashore to establish a mining camp, the ruins of which are still visible.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
The project of transforming Rome’s historic Palazzo Capponi into Romeo Roma took him 12 years, drawn out by structural challenges, and the discovery of archeological ruins mid-way through.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
There was no shame in shedding a few tears at ancient ruins.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruins
Verb
-
The 2020s have been a decade of compounding American institutional failure — a pandemic, political rupture, an affordability crisis, student loan servicers treated as adversaries, a healthcare system that bankrupts the sick, and a growing sense that the system is not working as advertised.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wildfire ravages Simi Valley as evacuations are underway.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
-
Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Young people must understand clearly that violence destroys not only victims, but entire families and communities.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2026
-
But Bogan told the outlet those assurances fall short if construction bulldozes the critical turtle habitat, compromises the manmade earthen dam that holds the springs' pond, or destroys the mesquite thicket downstream where turtles shelter in winter.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Another showed the roof destroyed, with rubble scattered on the ground as emergency responders surveyed the aftermath.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
-
Her second, released this week, digs through the East Wing’s rubble to rescue that mythology from the debacle of 2024.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
After an epidemic devastates humanity, one group, the Traveling Symphony, connects disparate survivors by performing Shakespeare.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
20 May 2026
-
The fire devastates the area, burning down the couple's entire property.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Kyle Busch wrecks Ron Hornaday under caution!—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Videos published online and geolocated by NBC News showed a blazing fire inside the airport, surrounded by debris and heavy smoke as people ran for cover.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
-
Remove any loose bits of food and debris from the smoker and removable components.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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