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

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

This scale quickly clogs ordinary solar stills, much like calcium buildup ruins your bathroom showerhead. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026

Castelsardo, Sardinia Lovely Castelsardo, with its meandering streets, knockout beaches, and Bronze Age ruins, makes a picture-perfect seaside base for exploring the northern coast of Sardinia. —Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2026

There is Persian mythology and mysticism in the film, and ruins in Persian poetry are very significant places. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026

The property’s main restaurant, Night Hawk, is Mediterranean, with cooking by open fire, a Greek ruins vibe and seating for about 150. —Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026

Having to fight and co-exist with those hell-bent on spewing lies and attention-grabbing hyperbole only clouds up the room, ruins the mood and takes away minutes from those who have been tackling real problems that truly need their government’s help. —Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026

But the beetles don't come back after the evil WESAYSO corporation ruins their habitat. —Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

On Bolivia’s Isla del Sol, simple guesthouses and boutique hotels overlook Incan ruins and the seemingly endless blue water. —Carla Vianna, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026

English ivy ruins paint jobs, encourages wood rot, and damages stucco and the mortar between bricks. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026

Noun

The hotel spa includes a hammam, gravitational tub, sauna, and salt wall, all of which are ensconced among Roman ruins. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026

Almost 18 months after the fall of the five-decade Assad family rule, large parts of Syria's main cities like Aleppo and Raqqa in the north, and Homs in the center, as well as parts of Damascus, remain in ruins. —ABC News, 26 May 2026

After a dusty day among the ruins, more heat may sound unappealing, but 30 minutes moving between a cold shower and hot steam has a surprisingly rejuvenating effect. —Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

There was no shame in shedding a few tears at ancient ruins. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 May 2026

From barely recognizable ruins to luxury resorts, Ireland’s castles are favorite destinations on visitors’ itineraries. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026

The Inca Trail takes hikers from the Urubamba River near Cuzco, up to the ruins of Machu Picchu. —Sam Peters, CNN Money, 22 May 2026