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
Of those, 35 involved an injury — the same number of total wrecks reported during that timeframe a week earlier. Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2025 Car wrecks abound At least 600 motorists were stranded in Missouri over the weekend, authorities said. Patrick Whittle and Brian Witte, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
For so long, the Steelers needed Watt to put on his cape and wreck a game to steal a win against a top-tier opponent. Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025 The new proposal would allow homeowners to down trees with trunks smaller than 18 inches in diameter, anything wrecked by a hurricane or during hurricane cleanup, anything considered diseased or damaged and anything non-native — a massive expansion of current policy. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for wreck 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreck
Noun
  • Singh — and others like him — are now grappling with how to live and work amid the wreckage.
    Sasha Hupka, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The area was so inaccessible by air and ground that the plane’s wreckage wasn’t discovered until 1999, 51 years later, thanks in part to the efforts of private searchers.
    Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Collis asked that anyone who witnessed the collision or caught video footage of it call the Sheriff’s Office at 858-565-5200.
    Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
  • The collision of the two events has set members of the civil rights community on edge, in part because of Trump’s history of inflammatory comments.
    Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Unlike Daniel Defoe’s hero, who was shipwrecked and fervently hoped to be rescued, Mr. Morandi chose his life of solitude.
    Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Directed by Chris Sanders, The Wild Robot stars Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o as Roz, a robot that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must adapt to the harsh surroundings.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • While that’s still below 1% of all luggage handled, try explaining that statistic to the family whose weekend away with the kids has been ruined by lost luggage.
    Duncan Madden, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Several carts loaded with household possessions travelled down a thoroughfare scattered with rubble and debris.
    Mohammed Salem, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Today, stove tops jut out of the sand, mixing with glass bottles and pieces of debris scattered by Hurricane Beryl in July of 2024.
    Joe Sills, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Like other Genesis researchers, McKeegan underscores that, unfortunately, what many people remember about Genesis is the crash.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police suspect a motorcycle driver was speeding and impaired during a crash that killed two people and injured two others, according to a news release.
    Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 19 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • During the Camp David negotiations, an impasse threatened to scuttle the entire process.
    Penny Abeywardena, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
  • After President Biden blocked the deal last week, U.S. Steel and Nippon sued Cleveland-Cliffs and Goncalves, accusing them of illegally conspiring to scuttle the deal.
    Sam Allard, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The video was released Sunday by a law firm representing a woman whose house was destroyed by the fire and is suing Southern California Edison, the primary electrical utility for Los Angeles.
    Michelle Watson, CNN, 27 Jan. 2025
  • By the time the show opened on Friday, the Eaton Fire, which is now 95 percent contained, had burned over 14,000 acres and destroyed over 9,000 structures in Altadena, Pasadena, and other areas nearby.
    Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 27 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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