1
: something cast up on the land by the sea especially after a shipwreck
2
a
b
: the action of wrecking or fact or state of being wrecked : destruction
c
: a violent and destructive crash
was injured in a car wreck
3
a
: a hulk or the ruins of a wrecked ship
b
: the broken remains of something wrecked or otherwise ruined
c
: something disabled or in a state of ruin or dilapidation
the house was a wreck
also
: a person or animal of broken constitution, health, or spirits
he's a nervous wreck
wrecked; wrecking; wrecks
1
: to cast ashore
2
a
: to reduce to a ruinous state by or as if by violence
a country wrecked by war
ambition wrecked his marriage
b
c
: to ruin, damage, or imperil by a wreck
wrecked the car
3
: bring about, wreak
wreck havoc
Examples of wreck in a Sentence
Noun
This car has never been in a wreck.
The stress of her final exams made her a wreck.
Dad was a nervous wreck on the day I had my surgery.
Verb
I wrecked my mother's car.
Many houses were wrecked by the hurricane.
The affair wrecked his marriage.
Bad weather wrecked our vacation.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2025
The wreck lies nearly 400 feet deep in low-visibility water and yielded some fascinating treasures.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
The wooden bridge that was wrecked spans the Pfeiffer Redwood Creek ravine.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreck
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Noun
The only movement is that of goats who nibble the long grass that grows around the Cold War aircraft wrecks that litter this forlorn spot on Grenada’s east coast.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2025
The wreck lies nearly 400 feet deep in low-visibility water and yielded some fascinating treasures.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
Images of the incident show the two vehicles completely wrecked at the side of the highway and several emergency first responders at the scene.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
The wooden bridge that was wrecked spans the Pfeiffer Redwood Creek ravine.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreck
Cite this Entry
“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wreck. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wreck
1 of 2 noun1
: goods cast upon the land by the sea after a shipwreck
3
: the action of wrecking
4
: a destructive crash
was injured in a car wreck
5
: the broken remains of something wrecked or ruined
6
: something in a state of ruin or decay
the old house was a wreck
7
: a person in poor health or spirits
wreck
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to reduce to a state of ruin by or as if by violence
a country wrecked by war
jealousy wrecked their friendship
2
: to damage or ruin by a wreck
wrecked the car
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