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
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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
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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
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Recent Examples of wrecking
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
Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
The wrecking contractor did a superb job of clearing the area.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Pop legend Taylor Swift’s friends and lovers (ahem, Travis Kelce) can’t stop breaking her chairs and wrecking her house.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
San Antonio is among the top 20 cities in America to organize a wedding without completely wrecking your bank account, according to WalletHub.
—Rhyma Castillo, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Feb. 2026
At other locations in the valley, hospices operated inside strip malls alongside burrito stands, nail salons, dance studios, tax preparers and even an auto parts store and wrecking yard.
—William La Jeunesse, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The Italians fought and lost to Robert Moses’s wrecking whims; Puerto Ricans who could fled to Jersey for the privilege of a backyard.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Crews used an aerial platform to help a wrecking tow truck hook its line to the vehicle, also avoiding placing a human diver in the frigid water.
—Jessie Christopher Smith, Oklahoman, 27 Jan. 2026
The Luddites are back, wrecking technology in a quixotic effort to stop progress.
—Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 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, 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 brand nails high-quality essentials that look luxe without wrecking your travel budget.
—Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
The wrecking contractor did a superb job of clearing the area.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Pop legend Taylor Swift’s friends and lovers (ahem, Travis Kelce) can’t stop breaking her chairs and wrecking her house.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
San Antonio is among the top 20 cities in America to organize a wedding without completely wrecking your bank account, according to WalletHub.
—Rhyma Castillo, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Feb. 2026
At other locations in the valley, hospices operated inside strip malls alongside burrito stands, nail salons, dance studios, tax preparers and even an auto parts store and wrecking yard.
—William La Jeunesse, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The Italians fought and lost to Robert Moses’s wrecking whims; Puerto Ricans who could fled to Jersey for the privilege of a backyard.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Crews used an aerial platform to help a wrecking tow truck hook its line to the vehicle, also avoiding placing a human diver in the frigid water.
—Jessie Christopher Smith, Oklahoman, 27 Jan. 2026
The Luddites are back, wrecking technology in a quixotic effort to stop progress.
—Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrecking
Noun
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Hannah Hackemeyer, just 18 at the time of the 2024 single-car wreck, was sentenced Tuesday in the death of Sophia Lekiachvili, a spokesperson with the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.—
Caroline Silva,
AJC.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Coppola, the head-of-table colossus, was fearless and senseless, a beautiful wreck, as lax with details as he was committed to art.—
Michael O’Donnell,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Artificial reefs, created by scuttling ships, sinking oil rigs, or dropping rubble into the sea, have long been known to improve aquatic life, so perhaps these findings are unsurprising.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
19 Dec. 2025
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Pro tip Tack on a night at the Balmoral prior to the trip to avoid any travel snafus scuttling your voyage, and perhaps a few more on the back end to allow proper time to reacclimate.—
Jake Emen,
Robb Report,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But when the other side is destroying it, there are worse things to be than the alternative.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The European Union is moving forward with its ban on destroying unsold clothing, footwear and accessories.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The video did not mention any specific orders, but the six were plainly referring to the sinking of Venezuelan ships in international waters topped off by the killing of survivors clinging to the wreckage of their vessel.—
James D. Zirin,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the sinking.—
Michael Casey,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The book’s bleak contemporary lesson is that stranding people in a quasi-legal black site is easier than releasing them.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The scale of this year’s snowfall temporarily closed Hokkaido’s main airport last week, stranding hundreds of passengers, while snarling other travel, delaying train services and forcing the closure of some highways.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The mist dissipates around a room instead of spewing out like a wet stream, which keeps Alpert worry-free about ruining her wooden bed frame.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
6 Feb. 2026
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In fact, for some items, a standard cold wash can be ruining.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The village is demolishing homes to make way for the redevelopment and will relocate residents elsewhere on campus, Timberlake said.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
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The project calls for demolishing a 1949 single-family home and building a 2,500-square-foot contemporary building to be used as a Jewish ritual pool for women for spiritual purification.—
Lauren Costantino
February 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But a drone had hit one of its salons, shattering a heating pipe and flooding the premises.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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The new Wade is an endlessly wisecracking chatterbox, shattering the fourth wall with gleeful abandon.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecking. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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