the ravages of
idiom
literary
: destruction or damage caused by (something)
the ravages of war/disease
—sometimes used figurativelyHer face showed the ravages of time.
Examples of the ravages of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Amid the ravages of the war, most Ukrainians feel a strong sense of Ukrainian identity, of belonging to the country, and of trust in state institutions.
—
Anton Grushetskyi, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
Many students are studying for a career in social work, to combat the ravages of drugs, or hoping to secure a job at the lab.
—Abe Streep, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2024
Missing masterpieces For as long as humans have been making art, natural disasters, the ravages of time, theft and iconoclasm have threatened their creations’ survival.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024
In total — including pre-bankruptcy lawsuit settlements with a few individual states and payments to private organizations and victims — Endo paid about $635 million for the ravages of the opioid crisis.
—Bob Fernandez, ProPublica, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the ravages of 
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.
Anton Grushetskyi, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
Many students are studying for a career in social work, to combat the ravages of drugs, or hoping to secure a job at the lab.
—Abe Streep, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2024
Missing masterpieces For as long as humans have been making art, natural disasters, the ravages of time, theft and iconoclasm have threatened their creations’ survival.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024
In total — including pre-bankruptcy lawsuit settlements with a few individual states and payments to private organizations and victims — Endo paid about $635 million for the ravages of the opioid crisis.
—Bob Fernandez, ProPublica, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the ravages of
Dictionary Entries Near the ravages of
Cite this Entry
“The ravages of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20ravages%20of. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share