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
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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
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Recent Examples of ruins
Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Having to fight and co-exist with those hell-bent on spewing lies and attention-grabbing hyperbole only clouds up the room, ruins the mood and takes away minutes from those who have been tackling real problems that truly need their government’s help.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
But the beetles don't come back after the evil WESAYSO corporation ruins their habitat.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
On Bolivia’s Isla del Sol, simple guesthouses and boutique hotels overlook Incan ruins and the seemingly endless blue water.
—Carla Vianna, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
English ivy ruins paint jobs, encourages wood rot, and damages stucco and the mortar between bricks.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026
Jeff then immediately ruins the stakes-building tension by launching into an interminable Applebee’s ad.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
One drop of red dye ruins the whole thing.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
And as per usual, a man ruins everything.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2026
James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
The team had been checking for ruins around the Bauhaus retail center before further commercial development proceeded in the area, continuing work started in 2011 with the discovery of an early Christian church there.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
War rumbles on Putin, who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since the last day of 1999, faces a wave of anxiety in Moscow about the war in Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, left swathes of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia’s $3 trillion economy.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 May 2026
This agreement lays bare the administration’s plan to destroy East Potomac and build a professional-style course on its ruins.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Whether the characters survived the night unscathed or in ruins, their formal wear has remained iconic in pop culture.
—Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
For the families, the horror shifted from the ruins of the school to the cold tiles of the morgue.
—Zohreh Saberi, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Elsewhere in the Cyclades, hit up the otherworldly Sarakiniko beach in Milos, explore Paros’s fertile farmland, or make your way through the ruins of the Temple of Apollo in Naxos.
—Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
Other people are giving up on remote Nyatim and going home to ruins.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Having to fight and co-exist with those hell-bent on spewing lies and attention-grabbing hyperbole only clouds up the room, ruins the mood and takes away minutes from those who have been tackling real problems that truly need their government’s help.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
But the beetles don't come back after the evil WESAYSO corporation ruins their habitat.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
On Bolivia’s Isla del Sol, simple guesthouses and boutique hotels overlook Incan ruins and the seemingly endless blue water.
—Carla Vianna, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
English ivy ruins paint jobs, encourages wood rot, and damages stucco and the mortar between bricks.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026
Jeff then immediately ruins the stakes-building tension by launching into an interminable Applebee’s ad.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
One drop of red dye ruins the whole thing.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
And as per usual, a man ruins everything.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
The ruins of the theater have long since been carted away.
—James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
The team had been checking for ruins around the Bauhaus retail center before further commercial development proceeded in the area, continuing work started in 2011 with the discovery of an early Christian church there.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
War rumbles on Putin, who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since the last day of 1999, faces a wave of anxiety in Moscow about the war in Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, left swathes of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia’s $3 trillion economy.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 May 2026
This agreement lays bare the administration’s plan to destroy East Potomac and build a professional-style course on its ruins.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Whether the characters survived the night unscathed or in ruins, their formal wear has remained iconic in pop culture.
—Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
For the families, the horror shifted from the ruins of the school to the cold tiles of the morgue.
—Zohreh Saberi, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Elsewhere in the Cyclades, hit up the otherworldly Sarakiniko beach in Milos, explore Paros’s fertile farmland, or make your way through the ruins of the Temple of Apollo in Naxos.
—Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
Other people are giving up on remote Nyatim and going home to ruins.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 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
-
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
-
Over time, toxins accumulate, and the genetic disorder ravages children’s organs, including their heart — and in many cases, their brain, leading to dementia-like symptoms.—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After hundreds to thousands of years, the feeding black hole or neutron star falls into the stellar core and destroys it, creating a luminous emission.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
Federal debt destroys wealth and impedes economic growth.—
Rose Evans
May 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Fire marshals said one person found dead in the rubble Wednesday in the Mott Haven building, located on Third Avenue between 139th and 140th Streets.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
Also, reusing local rubble reduces the carbon emissions from transporting heavy sand and gravel across long distances.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Florida’s citrus industry has been in a steady decline the past 25 years because of Huanglongbing (also known as HLB and citrus greening disease), a bacterial disease that devastates citrus trees.—
Jim Turner,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
-
The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
7 May 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 15 May. 2026.
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