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
Marzio G. Mian, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
But the sacred institution, founded in 1813, is now in ruins.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Its remote New Mexico setting keeps artificial light to a minimum, while the park’s archaeological ruins add a powerful sense of place.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Lighthouses Ten lighthouses, some still in service (and one in ruins), dot the Apostle Islands.
—Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 June 2026
The ruins of the Ludus Magnus look strikingly similar to the current ruins of the East Wing.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
Vịnh Mốc can also be visited as part of a DMZ tour, which includes stops at the Khe Sanh Combat Base, a US Marine base that endured a 77-day siege in 1968; the ruins of Long Hung church, destroyed in a 1972 battle; and Hiền Lương Bridge at the 17th parallel that divided North and South Vietnam.
—Pavlo Fedykovych, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
There, buffalo roamed free within the ancient ruins of Magna Graecia in the low, alluvial plains just outside of Naples.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Sri Lanka, off the southeastern coast of India, packs lush tea plantations, ancient Buddhist ruins, biodiversity and pristine beaches into one of the most affordable trips on this list — though its popularity is rising fast.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 9 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
Mussolini had a villa built, reduced like almost everything else to a pile of ruins.
—Marzio G. Mian, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
But the sacred institution, founded in 1813, is now in ruins.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Its remote New Mexico setting keeps artificial light to a minimum, while the park’s archaeological ruins add a powerful sense of place.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Lighthouses Ten lighthouses, some still in service (and one in ruins), dot the Apostle Islands.
—Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 June 2026
The ruins of the Ludus Magnus look strikingly similar to the current ruins of the East Wing.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
Vịnh Mốc can also be visited as part of a DMZ tour, which includes stops at the Khe Sanh Combat Base, a US Marine base that endured a 77-day siege in 1968; the ruins of Long Hung church, destroyed in a 1972 battle; and Hiền Lương Bridge at the 17th parallel that divided North and South Vietnam.
—Pavlo Fedykovych, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
There, buffalo roamed free within the ancient ruins of Magna Graecia in the low, alluvial plains just outside of Naples.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Sri Lanka, off the southeastern coast of India, packs lush tea plantations, ancient Buddhist ruins, biodiversity and pristine beaches into one of the most affordable trips on this list — though its popularity is rising fast.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 9 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.—
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
-
Standard recycling destroys the whole part just to clean it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
-
The mechanism is an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO, abundant in bananas, which destroys flavanols both during blending and inside the stomach.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Lasker ran over to find the woman's husband was stuck in the rubble and ended up helping rescue him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Now, people have been crammed into around 40 percent of the space left to them — sheltering among broken buildings, rubble and mounting solid waste.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
8 June 2026
-
Withholding effective treatment for chronic disease devastates lives and drives up healthcare costs.—
Karen R. Studer,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 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
-
Additional footage appeared to show debris floating in the aftermath of the strike.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
And an apartment building and a fitness center in the capital were also damaged by falling debris, TASS reported.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
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.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 12,
New Atlas,
12 June 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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