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
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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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ruins
Charles Trepany, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
And as per usual, a man ruins everything.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2026
Coming back from their honeymoon, John and Carolyn are more in love than ever, but the mob of photographers waiting for them ruins their intimate moment.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
For more history, the Maya ruins all over the area never fail to surprise, but Tulum remains singular with the only major Mayan site built dramatically atop seaside cliff.
—Gina Góngora, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026
In games that matter, one bad inning — one weak link on the chain — ruins a whole game.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
There’s, in fact, a lot of narrative chaos in the movie’s last third, from a pyramid scheme that ruins Junyang’s professional ego to the fact that Lydia, once she’s given birth, is basically cut out of the picture.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
When fans see an exciting big hit, thinking about how the players might not know their own family members in 30 years ruins the fun.
—Eleanor M. Perfetto, STAT, 7 Feb. 2026
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins centers around a former NFL star (Morgan) who attempts to put his life back together after a gambling scandal ruins him.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2026
Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
For those in pursuit of historical sites, its ancient ruins and museums lined with artifacts should entice.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
Over time, the outside area became filled with detritus, including pieces of ruins, and overgrown with weeds.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Al-Shalchi says many buildings, including homes and schools, lie in ruins from Israeli airstrikes.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
Within a day, their headquarters near Tehran’s Azadi Stadium lay in ruins.
—Richard Goldberg, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
The townsite was eventually abandoned years later and now lies in ruins that people can visit.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 15 Mar. 2026
Using those newfound skills, the Creature returns to the ruins of the tower and reads letters that reveal the truth of its creation.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
The garden also has eye-catching historic ruins, stone pathways, and sculptural elements.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
Coming back from their honeymoon, John and Carolyn are more in love than ever, but the mob of photographers waiting for them ruins their intimate moment.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
For more history, the Maya ruins all over the area never fail to surprise, but Tulum remains singular with the only major Mayan site built dramatically atop seaside cliff.
—Gina Góngora, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026
In games that matter, one bad inning — one weak link on the chain — ruins a whole game.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
There’s, in fact, a lot of narrative chaos in the movie’s last third, from a pyramid scheme that ruins Junyang’s professional ego to the fact that Lydia, once she’s given birth, is basically cut out of the picture.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
When fans see an exciting big hit, thinking about how the players might not know their own family members in 30 years ruins the fun.
—Eleanor M. Perfetto, STAT, 7 Feb. 2026
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins centers around a former NFL star (Morgan) who attempts to put his life back together after a gambling scandal ruins him.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
Hop a boat to Devenish Island, where the monastic ruins feel quietly cinematic.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
For those in pursuit of historical sites, its ancient ruins and museums lined with artifacts should entice.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
Over time, the outside area became filled with detritus, including pieces of ruins, and overgrown with weeds.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Al-Shalchi says many buildings, including homes and schools, lie in ruins from Israeli airstrikes.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
Within a day, their headquarters near Tehran’s Azadi Stadium lay in ruins.
—Richard Goldberg, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
The townsite was eventually abandoned years later and now lies in ruins that people can visit.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 15 Mar. 2026
Using those newfound skills, the Creature returns to the ruins of the tower and reads letters that reveal the truth of its creation.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
The garden also has eye-catching historic ruins, stone pathways, and sculptural elements.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruins
Verb
-
As of early Monday morning, nearly 150 flights at MIA had been impacted, and that's expected to increase as the winter storm ravages the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.—
February 23,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The tall green trees pop against the clear blue sky, until a wildfire ravages the forest and changes Grainger’s life.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The extreme heat kills the plant tissue immediately and typically destroys the roots of many weed species.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Satellite images indicate that the Iranians subsequently broke through the rubble to open the tunnel entrances, perhaps to gain access to the nuclear materials.—
Sheena Samu,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile in Tehran, rescue workers were combing through rubble Friday morning trying to find survivors after overnight strikes there.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Exacerbating the problem, unpredictable rainfall cycling between drought and floods further devastates the region.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
23 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
-
Piles of brick debris were also seen inside hospital rooms and along an exterior wall.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
One of the biggest headaches any launch with a hatch deals with is known as FOD, or foreign-object debris, which could be as small as a piece of hair trapped in the seal where the hatch closes.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 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
Noun
-
The runway where two pilots died in a collision between a jet and a fire truck reopened Thursday morning at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, which had been operating at limited capacity all week as investigators examined the wreckage and work crews cleaned up debris.—
Philip Marcelo,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
SpaceX has been using the port for years to receive components for Starbase’s construction and wreckage from Starships that have crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.—
Brandon Lingle,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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