Synonyms of ruins

ruins 1 of 2

verb

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

• bankrupts
• busts
• breaks
• reduces
• impoverishes
• beggars
• wipes out
• pauperizes
• cleans (out)
• straitens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enriches
• richens

2

as in ravages

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action

tornadoes ruined a wide swath of the county

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ravages
• destroys
• devastates
• wrecks
• scourges
• plunders
• despoils
• desolates
• shatters
• overwhelms
• obliterates
• loots
• pillages
• sacks
• wipes out
• vaporizes
• annihilates
• eradicates
• strips
• wastes
• wracks
• forays
• demolishes
• decimates
• expunges
• extirpates
• harries
• extinguishes
• nukes
• marauds
• smashes
• totals
• razes
• rubs out
• mows
• overthrows
• overruns
• overpowers
• crushes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restores
• recovers
• redeems
• repairs
• rehabilitates
• fixes
• reconditions
• mends
• patches
• revamps

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

• destroys
• demolishes
• wrecks
• shatters
• devastates
• smashes
• damages
• wastes
• overcomes
• ravages
• desolates
• annihilates
• erodes
• decimates
• razes
• vaporizes
• wracks
• extinguishes
• mars
• pulverizes
• cripples
• tears down
• pulls down
• nukes
• totals
• rubs out
• kills
• defeats
• crushes
• dismantles
• breaks
• does in
• creams
• injures
• spoils
• blasts
• masters
• removes
• conquers
• disfigures
• subdues
• disintegrates
• prevails (over)
• deteriorates
• harms
• wins (against)
• impairs
• overbears
• triumphs (over)
• dissolves
• defaces
• licks
• surmounts
• mutilates
• routs
• bests
• dynamites
• obliterates
• vitiates
• sweeps (away)
• clobbers
• despoils
• mangles
• trims
• eradicates
• overmatches
• scours
• trounces
• guts
• unmakes
• thrashes
• washes out
• exterminates
• blows up
• wipes out
• stamps (out)
• vandalizes
• plunders
• undoes
• beats
• effaces
• loots
• wears (away)
• murders
• slaughters
• scotches
• whips
• wallops
• assassinates
• extirpates
• expunges
• takes down
• roots (out)
• pillages
• tramples
• disassembles
• blots out
• cuts down
• sacks
• liquidates
• trashes
• slays
• unbuilds
• kills off
• dilapidates
• drubs
• massacres
• snuffs (out)
• mows (down)
• takes out
• dispatches
• fells
• zaps
• executes
• skunks
• butchers
• havocs

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• builds
• constructs
• repairs
• raises
• doctors
• sets up
• creates
• erects
• rears
• fixes
• forms
• manufactures
• produces
• makes
• shapes
• fathers
• constitutes
• puts up
• invents
• institutes
• protects
• establishes
• preserves
• frames
• fashions
• assembles
• founds
• patches
• mends
• brings about
• saves
• reconditions
• organizes
• revamps
• restores
• conserves
• forges
• molds
• reconstructs
• fabricates
• rebuilds
• renovates
• remodels

ruins

2 of 2

noun

plural of ruin

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

• rubble
• debris
• wreckage
• remains
• remnant
• ashes
• wreck
• detritus
• residue
• flotsam
• dust
• garbage
• junk
• leavings
• litter
• rubbish
• trash
• refuse
• jetsam
• scrap
• chaff
• waste
• dross
• deadwood
• riffraff

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ruins

Verb

And that’s a bit of a problem, because nothing ruins the allure of the new and novel quite like ubiquity. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026

Actual Roman ruins As for those interested in seeing legitimate sites, Arya recommends Verona for an amphitheater, or Aquileia, two and a half hours northeast on Veneto’s border with Friuli. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Nothing ruins a relationship faster than finding out your girlfriend, who’s actually the entire world, stole your frozen eggs. — Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026

When porch days turn into nights, nothing ruins the vibe of an evening gathering or solo wind-down faster than a blinding flashlight or hunting for an outlet. — Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2026

The Saturday Night Live alum and Staten Island ferry co-owner can be spotted shooting a scene for a crime show with Bobby Cannavale when Owen accidentally runs onto the set and ruins their take. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Aug. 2026

The Carhartt Mansion ruins in Rock Hill are the remains of a lavish 1909 homestead built by workwear founder Hamilton Carhartt, who once owned three miles of land along the Catawba River. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026

That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them. — New Atlas, 24 July 2026

Hikers follow ancient stone pathways built by the Inca civilization, crossing cloud forests, high mountain passes, and ruins scattered along the route. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

Noun

The mountains, castles, and ruins of Ashina enable a unique traversal system. — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026

The tornado struck Pomas, a village of about 1,000 people, on Monday and rescue teams were continuing their search through ruins on Tuesday, though no people were immediately reported missing. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

As tens of thousands more shifts are logged inside the ruins, the tally of workers qualifying for medical compensation will almost certainly grow. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026

On my mini moon in Cancun, my husband and I rented a car and ventured to see nearby Mayan ruins. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026

And in his makeshift workspace and temporary home, Lang and his wife, Diane, are finding beauty among the ruins of their lives. — Tracy Smith, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

A little under three miles away, the ruins of the original Strancally Castle date back much further, to the 12th century. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026

Take a walk around Baixa Chiado, marvel at the Santa Justa outdoor lift connecting the lower areas of the Baixa with the higher Carmo Square, and head to the ruins of an old church at Carmo Archaeological Museum. — Ann Lee, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026

Wood, bricks and insulation filled the ruins of the church entryway and media room at 2900 Roswell Avenue, near Quindaro Boulevard. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026