wreck 1 of 2

Definition of wrecknext
1
as in wreckage
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed found the wreck of the ship lying on the floor of the ocean

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2
as in wrecking
the destruction or loss of a ship the wreck cost the insurance company millions of dollars

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3
as in collision
the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact a dangerous stretch of roadway that has been the scene of numerous car wrecks

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wreck

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to scuttle
to cause irreparable damage to (a ship) by running aground or sinking many an unwary captain has wrecked his ship on the shoals that surround the island

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2
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of most of the furniture on the ground floor was wrecked by the floodwaters

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of wreck
Noun
No one was killed in either wreck. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026 Luke Helton, 24, died at the scene of the wreck on Carmody Boulevard near Hook Drive, the Butler County Coroner’s Office said. Fox19 Staff, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
But while the Swede’s debut campaign at Liverpool has been wrecked by fitness and form issues, Ekitike has firmly established himself as the new leading light of Arne Slot’s front line. James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026 Dosunmu operated at times like a one-man wrecking crew, forcing his way downhill in the half court and cracking open the Heat’s confounded defense in the flow of transition. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreck
Noun
  • Since well before Larry David came along, celebrities have been breaking their own life’s fourth wall and finding comedy among the wreckage.
    Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
  • The Pentagon declined to provide further detail, including about the possible wreckage of the drone.
    Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
  • In one case, the life of an upper-class woman and contemporary of Julius Caesar, Clodia, saw her reputation destroyed by false claims of harlotry, home-wrecking, and husband-killing.
    Time, Time, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The logic behind this is that supermassive black hole binaries, which spiral together to lead to collisions and mergers, emit gravitational waves of increasing frequency as their orbits shrink, creating a background hum of gravitational waves.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Working out the math for the collision of, say, two five-solar-mass black holes, the amount of energy blasted out in less than a second by such a merger would be roughly the same as the sun will emit in seven trillion years.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • In its worst forms, paranoia is a misapplication of the tools of attention, devotion, and care, scuttled by dread, the oppression of the unknown, and a lack of support.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Senate leaders had planned a vote on the agreement for Thursday night, but Graham’s hold scuttled that effort.
    Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Romero’s red card for a foul on Casemiro in the 29th minute of Tottenham’s defeat to Manchester United on Saturday ruined Frank’s game plan.
    Jay Harris, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Applying baking soda to some surfaces or materials could ruin it, scratch it or lose its shine, according to the pros.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The helicopter crashed about 50 feet from a BNSF Railway line and spread debris across the tracks, according to the railway.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Of course, the circumstances for why each band lost their personnel varies, such as illness (Mick Jones), death (the 1977 Skynyrd airplane crash), and the inevitable need for retirement.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Liberty police, with the help of the Kansas City Police Department, is investigating the crash.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Get shipwrecked on a Robinson Crusoe beach with a picnic of yellowfin ceviche?
    Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
  • The park service first documented zebra mussels during a training dive at the SS Sevona shipwreck off the Sand Island shoal in 2015.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 20 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreck. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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