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
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
16 June 2026
Again, don't wring the suit, which ruins the shape.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 June 2026
Think about it the next time a presidential rant ruins your coffee.
—
Steven Andreasen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
As always happens at the start of Scream films — the franchise that 2000's and 2026's Scary Movie films take as their lodestar — the Ghostface killer turns up and ruins everything.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 June 2026
Deep dives into childhood trauma sort of ruins it for everyone.
—
Literary Hub,
3 June 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
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2026
The engineer flew in from Tampa to try and find her mother, sister, brother-in-law and nephew in the ruins of their nine-story apartment building, sleeping on the ground since arriving two nights ago.
—
Isa Soares,
CNN Money,
1 July 2026
Highlights include Montserrat, the Roman ruins of Tarragona, the beaches of the Costa Brava and Costa Daurada, the Pyrenees, medieval towns such as Cardona and Peralada, and wine regions including Penedès and Priorat.
—
Emese MacZko,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
No information Satellite images from Vantor show a large section of the hotel reduced to a pile of concrete and rebar, with terracotta roof tiles scattered around the ruins.
—
Deisy Buitrago,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
The modern Miami metropolis was built over the ruins of an earlier civilization.
—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
Unable to leave, residents rely on each other In another neighborhood, a view of the brilliant deep blue of the Mediterranean, a block away, framed the ruins of what had been a famous creamery – Karrit Ice Cream.
—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
23 June 2026
What new Vancouver Canucks management, headlined by co-presidents Henrik and Daniel Sedin and general manager Ryan Johnson, will manage to build atop the ruins of the derelict Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson era remains to be seen.
—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Ancient ruins at Hisarlık, Turkey, excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s, have been identified as the remnants of Troy.
—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 June 2026
Verb
Nothing ruins the start of a weekend away faster than wrestling with an overstuffed bag.
—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
16 June 2026
Again, don't wring the suit, which ruins the shape.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 June 2026
Think about it the next time a presidential rant ruins your coffee.
—
Steven Andreasen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
As always happens at the start of Scream films — the franchise that 2000's and 2026's Scary Movie films take as their lodestar — the Ghostface killer turns up and ruins everything.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 June 2026
Deep dives into childhood trauma sort of ruins it for everyone.
—
Literary Hub,
3 June 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
Noun
As a reminder, the Mission San Juan Capistrano tour ends at the ruins of what’s now called the Great Stone Church, which collapsed in an 1812 earthquake that killed 40 Acjachemen worshippers.
—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2026
The engineer flew in from Tampa to try and find her mother, sister, brother-in-law and nephew in the ruins of their nine-story apartment building, sleeping on the ground since arriving two nights ago.
—
Isa Soares,
CNN Money,
1 July 2026
Highlights include Montserrat, the Roman ruins of Tarragona, the beaches of the Costa Brava and Costa Daurada, the Pyrenees, medieval towns such as Cardona and Peralada, and wine regions including Penedès and Priorat.
—
Emese MacZko,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
No information Satellite images from Vantor show a large section of the hotel reduced to a pile of concrete and rebar, with terracotta roof tiles scattered around the ruins.
—
Deisy Buitrago,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
The modern Miami metropolis was built over the ruins of an earlier civilization.
—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
Unable to leave, residents rely on each other In another neighborhood, a view of the brilliant deep blue of the Mediterranean, a block away, framed the ruins of what had been a famous creamery – Karrit Ice Cream.
—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
23 June 2026
What new Vancouver Canucks management, headlined by co-presidents Henrik and Daniel Sedin and general manager Ryan Johnson, will manage to build atop the ruins of the derelict Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson era remains to be seen.
—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Ancient ruins at Hisarlık, Turkey, excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s, have been identified as the remnants of Troy.
—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 June 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.
Verb
-
Wildfire ravages Simi Valley as evacuations are underway.
-
Greenhouses provide protection from scourges like tomato blight, which ravages otherwise beautiful crops in areas with cool, rainy weather.
Verb
-
What starts as a series that aims to subvert the heist genre at every turn – amped with thrilling life-or-death stakes, family dynamics, and explosive action – gives birth to an exploration of what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.
-
Arrrives, destroys Femi and hands Main Event Jey the crown.
Noun
-
Some held torches to light the way as floodlights appeared to illuminate the rubble against the darkness of night.
-
Rescuers have fanned out across La Guaira, where the worst destruction occurred, and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent days pulling survivors and victims from the rubble.
Verb
-
So when the dog is lost in a severe storm that devastates the region and leaves many homeless, an overwhelmed Rose must balance the urgency of her search mission alongside the misfortune of others close to her.
-
Withholding effective treatment for chronic disease devastates lives and drives up healthcare costs.
Verb
-
Kyle Busch wrecks Ron Hornaday under caution!
-
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.
Noun
-
Rodríguez denied those claims, saying some remote areas were difficult to reach because roads were blocked by landslides and debris, forcing authorities to rely on motorcycles, drones and satellite imagery.
-
Seconds later, a powerful explosion blasted through the doorway, shattering windows and sending vertical blinds and debris flying as firefighters quickly retreated from the building.
Verb
-
An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.
-
The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
Cite this Entry
“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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