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
-
File photo: Ukrainian rescue workers survey the rubble of a residential building hit during a Russian overnight drone and missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 23, 2025.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
-
So there is no way to look at the rubble in Gaza and the death toll estimates and offer a mathematical proof that Israel is failing to exercise adequate restraint.—
Ross Douthat,
Mercury News,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
On the morning of Aug. 13, a three-person city crew equipped with a skid steer, a dump truck, shovels and rakes was making its way up North 19th Street, picking up pile after pile of debris sitting outside homes.—
Alison Dirr,
jsonline.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
That said, while a bit of debris escaped after powering down, the vacuum still delivered from start to finish.—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Creating the aftermath of Maginot’s wreckage in Prodigy City was another feat.—
Daron James,
IndieWire,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Five other people, all in a third vehicle, were hospitalized with minor injuries and the fourth driver walked away from the wreckage and was treated at the scene.—
Andrea Klick,
Oc Register,
5 Aug. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share