in ruins
idiom
: destroyed with some pieces or parts remaining
The building was/lay in ruins.
—sometimes used figurativelyAfter her death, the family was in ruins.
Examples of in ruins in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Israel’s relentless campaign against Hamas in Gaza quickly followed, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and leaving much of the enclave in ruins.
—
Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The efforts have left many of southern Lebanon’s towns in ruins.
—Mick Krever, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
Vast swathes of the country remain uninhabitable because of the wreckage of the war, with entire neighborhoods in major cities such as Aleppo, Damascus, and Raqqa still lying in ruins and villages flattened.
—Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
The war left large parts of several cities in ruins and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people.
—Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for in ruins 
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.
Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The efforts have left many of southern Lebanon’s towns in ruins.
—Mick Krever, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
Vast swathes of the country remain uninhabitable because of the wreckage of the war, with entire neighborhoods in major cities such as Aleppo, Damascus, and Raqqa still lying in ruins and villages flattened.
—Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
The war left large parts of several cities in ruins and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people.
—Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for in ruins
Dictionary Entries Near in ruins
Cite this Entry
“In ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20ruins. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share