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
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By clinging to Newtonian certainty, economics often destroys the opportunity to do something magically creative.—
Eric Markowitz,
Big Think,
30 Dec. 2024 -
Other points-counterpoints focus on whether pasteurization also destroys vitamins in milk.—
Jan Ellen Spiegel,
Hartford Courant,
24 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
At least two of the dead were construction workers who were killed by falling rubble or debris, rescue worker Songwut Wangpon told reporters.—
David Rising,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
-
So far, federal cleanup crews have cleared ash and rubble from more than 860 properties, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Winds can be powerful enough to jostle cars, topple power lines and litter debris on the ground.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2025
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In neighboring Arkansas, a tornado near Blytheville lofted debris at least 25,000 feet high, according to weather service meteorologist Chelly Amin.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Due to the marshy terrain, much of the plane was underwater, and officials had to make their way to the wreckage by airboat.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Video Crews searched through wreckage after a tornado hit Selmer.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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