as in wreck
the destruction or loss of a ship
the wrecking of the freighter was one of the worst disasters ever on the Great Lakes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in scuttling
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of wrecking
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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,
24 Nov. 2025
The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.
—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Leaving a dog at home alone can be nerve-wrecking for many owners, but pet-cam footage shows why Larry the greyhound's owner has nothing to worry about.
—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
The wrecking begins when Carey (Marvin), Paul’s best friend, ill-advisedly sleeps with Julie—and then, more ill-advisedly still, confesses it to Paul the next day.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Sacbee.com,
4 July 2026
The good news is that dermatologists and makeup artists have figured out how to keep your SPF topped up without wrecking your foundation, blush or setting spray.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
2 July 2026
As many little heartbeats as possible, just running around, wrecking stuff in the house.
—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
What is in tandem here is the exuberantly generative possibility of life itself (SCOBY, water) alongside the very synthetic polymers that are literally wrecking life on an individual and systemic level.
—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
Belt-Stubblefield did not stop and ended up wrecking his car.
—
Michael Abeyta,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
The kind of game-wrecking force that the Rams enjoyed playing behind during Aaron Donald’s tenure, and one the defense has missed since Donald’s retirement prior to the 2024 season.
—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
2 June 2026
Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance.
—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Junk yards and auto wrecking services will soon be paying $354 instead of $273 for their new license, and secondhand dealers will see reduced fees — paying $354 instead of $480.
—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
Noun
At least, there was a lot less wrecking.
—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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,
24 Nov. 2025
The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.
—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Leaving a dog at home alone can be nerve-wrecking for many owners, but pet-cam footage shows why Larry the greyhound's owner has nothing to worry about.
—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
The wrecking begins when Carey (Marvin), Paul’s best friend, ill-advisedly sleeps with Julie—and then, more ill-advisedly still, confesses it to Paul the next day.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
The blaze remained confined to the wrecking yard property, despite briefly jumping a fence and igniting vegetation to the west.
—
Sacbee.com,
4 July 2026
The good news is that dermatologists and makeup artists have figured out how to keep your SPF topped up without wrecking your foundation, blush or setting spray.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
2 July 2026
As many little heartbeats as possible, just running around, wrecking stuff in the house.
—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
What is in tandem here is the exuberantly generative possibility of life itself (SCOBY, water) alongside the very synthetic polymers that are literally wrecking life on an individual and systemic level.
—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
Belt-Stubblefield did not stop and ended up wrecking his car.
—
Michael Abeyta,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
The kind of game-wrecking force that the Rams enjoyed playing behind during Aaron Donald’s tenure, and one the defense has missed since Donald’s retirement prior to the 2024 season.
—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
2 June 2026
Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance.
—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Junk yards and auto wrecking services will soon be paying $354 instead of $273 for their new license, and secondhand dealers will see reduced fees — paying $354 instead of $480.
—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrecking
Noun
-
Neither alcohol nor drugs appeared to factor in the fatal wreck.
-
Mental health support usually means stop ignoring the conditions that wreck performance.
Verb
-
The court complaint against the utilities commission and the California Attorney General’s office asks for a court order declaring that California cannot stop AT&T from scuttling landlines.
-
The rationale was that any war Israel fought would inflame popular anti-Israeli sentiment in the Arab and Muslim world, scuttling the Abraham Accords as Arab governments would withdraw out of fear of backlash.
Verb
-
Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
-
But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
Noun
-
Finding the wreck Official records detailing Hōfuku Maru’s sinking were incomplete and inconsistent, Beckensall said.
-
Actual sinking exercises provide valuable data on structural damage, flooding, shock effects, and sinking behaviour.
Verb
-
San Francisco went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and stranding two runners in scoring position in the seventh and one in the eighth.
-
Lindor went 0-for-5 in his return and grounded out so quickly to end the seventh inning, stranding a runner at third base, that fans didn’t even get to finish singing along to his walk-up song.
Verb
-
After all, plenty of cocktail enthusiasts already complain about mosquitoes ruining a summer evening.
-
The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
Verb
-
Digital Realty already began demolishing the inside of the building, so Gray believed the agreement was set.
-
But everyday people expressed their political outrage time and again, throwing rocks at and demolishing the houses of government officials, torching the king’s ships and forts and, eventually, marching to battle.
Verb
-
SoCal’s housing market growth SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has unleashed a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
-
At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.
Cite this Entry
“Wrecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecking. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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