ruins 1 of 2

verb

Definition of ruinsnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ravages
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action tornadoes ruined a wide swath of the county

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruins
  1. destroys
  2. rubble
  3. debris
  4. wreckage
Verb
  • Had Coppola focused on the dilemma of a white idealist challenged and intimidated by a black political power player, setting off political subterfuge that nearly destroys the dynasty Cesar was born to, Megalopolis might have ignited pop recognition and excitement.
    Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
  • Short term, self-doubt destroys focus and productivity, stifles creativity, holds you back from setting audacious goals, and feels downright terrible.
    Kevin Kruse, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of destroys
Noun
  • Case closed, with what’s left of Sofia’s car and Sal Maroni’s whole corpse lying in the rubble for good measure.
    Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
  • The lime in the rubble left behind after artillery bombardments helped fertilize the plants, which flourished across Belgium and northern France during the war, then largely disappeared once the lime was gone.
    Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Definition of rubble
Noun
  • As the name implies, a mop-vac rolls a mop and a vacuum into one—sucking up debris and cleaning your floors at the same time.
    Emily Farris, Bon Appétit, 29 Nov. 2024
  • Method 2: Using Vinegar and Baking Soda Remove and shake off loose debris from drip pans.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2024
Definition of debris
Noun
  • Three people were killed in the crash; a fourth was pulled from the wreckage by a person who had left the same event as those in the Cybertruck and was driving behind them when the crash occurred.
    Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 28 Nov. 2024
  • Scientists have been interested in Stephan’s Quintet since its discovery in 1877, because, among other reasons, many of its galaxies repeatedly come close to knocking into each other, and it’s composed of the wreckage left behind from past astronomical collisions.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024
Definition of wreckage
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near ruins

ruinous

ruins

rule

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Cite this Entry

“Ruins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruins. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ruins

Nglish: Translation of ruins for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ruins for Arabic Speakers

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