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
More than 90 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, the economy is shattered, and basic infrastructure is in ruins.
—
Patrick Vinck, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
Now that Gaza lies in ruins due to these policies, our new administration is threatening and taking actions that could make the situation even worse.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the father of the two redheaded boys, was abducted separately during the attack, which set off Israel’s 15-month war in Gaza that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left much of the enclave in ruins.
—Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
After the war, Poles found their country in ruins with a hostile communist regime in charge.
—Danuta Hamlin, Fox News, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in ruins
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Patrick Vinck, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
Now that Gaza lies in ruins due to these policies, our new administration is threatening and taking actions that could make the situation even worse.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the father of the two redheaded boys, was abducted separately during the attack, which set off Israel’s 15-month war in Gaza that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left much of the enclave in ruins.
—Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
After the war, Poles found their country in ruins with a hostile communist regime in charge.
—Danuta Hamlin, Fox News, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in ruins
Cite this Entry
“In ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20ruins. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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