wreck 1 of 2

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 shipwreck
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
All six passengers in the Kia — two adults and four young children — were uninjured in the wreck. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025 Lach helped excavate artifacts from the Titanic's wreck site in the North Atlantic Ocean and has created a touring exhibit. Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
Garland made waves last year with the divisive Civil War, which depicted a group of war correspondents and photographers making their way through the Eastern seaboard of a divided and wrecked United States. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025 Three days prior, Dale Earnhardt, the sport’s superhero and antihero and transcendent phenom all in one, wrecked into the wall on Turn 4 on the last lap of the Daytona 500. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreck
Noun
  • Investigators are continuing to search for wreckage using side-scanning sonar.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Despite its initially violent impact, leading to ocean-churning tsunamis and globe-crossing flying wreckage, this impactor also left behind tremendous opportunity.
    Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Purdue University’s official mascot, the Purdue Boilermaker Special, was involved in a fatal collision on the afternoon of April 24, the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office said.
    Ron Wilkins, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • The Slate Truck will also aim for a 5-star crash rating, according to a company spokesperson, and will feature active emergency braking, forward collision warning, and as many as eight airbags.
    Abigail Bassett, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Sawai's Mariko serves as a critical interpreter between the powerful Lord Yoshii Toranaga and an Englishman shipwrecked in Japan, John Blackthorne.
    Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 6 Jan. 2025
  • But also remember: This is a woman who has pretty much rolled with it when attacked by big game and shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • There is nothing that can ruin trying to sleep through a redeye like the sunrise hitting your face.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The lot was activated because of the magnitude of storm debris that had to be removed from the basins.
    Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
  • For those with patience to keep them free of debris and properly chlorinated (or, more realistically, the funds to hire someone), there’s probably just enough time to close on one of these homes before a mid-season heat wave.
    Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • There has been a crash on I-35 from I-29/US-71/Exit 8 to MO-1/Antioch Road/Exit 8.
    Kansas City Star Bot, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2025
  • According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the charges stem from a crash and multiple near-misses on May 17, 2024, as state police had I-291 shut down in the area of Interstate 91 in connection with an unspecified investigation.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But the station, whose brand name is Kansas City PBS, scuttled the series and took down the online promotional trailer after McCoy and others saw the promotion and told the station about their bad experiences with the couple.
    Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The crash scuttled that dream, and the family moved to a new farm.
    Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • More than half a dozen tornadoes have been confirmed, including one in Marshall County, Oklahoma, that left two homes completely destroyed and damaged about 20 others.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The war has destroyed vast parts of Gaza and most of its food production capabilities.
    Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreck. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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