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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruins
Verb
-
Development not only disturbs or destroys the soil, but wipes out habitat.—
Carl R. Gold,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025 -
First, allowing utilities to own generation destroys the competitive market.—
Mary Beth Tung,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In it, Haidar watched herself lying among the still-settling rubble, her dark hair spooling in eddying puddles of red.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
-
When our planet interacts with that rubble river, those comet bits race through Earth's atmosphere at high speeds: 41 miles (66 km) per second, to produce the shooting star effect.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
Inspectors cited the Mexican restaurant for food safety violations including noticeable debris accumulation on the shelf under the salsa bar.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2025
-
Stay away from windows as flying debris generated by damaging winds can be deadly.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Crews and investigators spent days recovering the wreckage.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
8 May 2025
-
The remains were found among the wreckage of the Emanuel Point II, a Spanish ship that sank in September 1559 near what is now Pensacola, Florida.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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