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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wreck
Scott Thompson, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2025
Early exit Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and 2017 NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr. were among the drivers whose race ended after they were collected in a wreck before the halfway point.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
Avery Lotz, Axios, 5 Feb. 2025
There's little doubt about next week being a 'climate emergency' with extreme cold—perhaps historical—wrecking the central United States.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreck
Noun
Preece was in the middle of the pack when a wreck at the top of the race impacted him in the worst way, with Christopher Bell's No. 20 car smashing into him, causing his vehicle to fly through the Florida night.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2025
Early exit Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and 2017 NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr. were among the drivers whose race ended after they were collected in a wreck before the halfway point.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
Verb
Go deeper: Musk's wrecking ball pierces government's inner sanctum
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional developments.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 5 Feb. 2025
There's little doubt about next week being a 'climate emergency' with extreme cold—perhaps historical—wrecking the central United States.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreck
Noun
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Jennifer shared photos of the helicopter wreckage as well as her husband in the hospital.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
24 Feb. 2025
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The road-cutters often target the same chokepoints, striking vehicle after vehicle and creating traffic-impeding piles of wreckage.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This is significant because globular clusters are associated with other powerful events associated with older stars, including the collisions and mergers of two neutron stars or a white dwarf collapsing under its own gravity.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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Over the weekend, the asteroid also dropped to a ranking of 0 out of 10 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, a tool for categorizing potential collisions of space objects with Earth.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Lord of the Flies – A new BBC adaptation of William Golding’s book about a group of boys shipwrecked on a deserted island.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2025
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Malta is known for the warmth of its people, as noted in the Book of Apostles when St. Paul was said to have been shipwrecked off the island coast in 60CE and found a welcoming community of locals.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes,
12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Sometimes, one bad person or a few bad people can ruin things for everybody.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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The floods were also a disaster for businesses that lost valuable stock, like a local bookstore which saw $25,000 worth of books ruined, the BBC reported.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Even if the garage door is open, don't start a vehicle if the garage is attached to a home. Furnace and fireplaces: Keep fireplaces clean and in good condition, make sure no debris is blocking the vents or chimney.—
Sara Moniuszko,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
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Residents who live near local landfills say the wildfire debris should be sent to hazardous waste landfills instead.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Lake County crash investigators determined that the semi was traveling south on U.S. 41 at the time of the crash.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2025
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Conway was under the influence of of alcohol at the time of the crash, with a blood alcohol level of .490, according to court documents.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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That account draws us in with a depth that’s missing from the succession of hamster-wheel scenes in which Vera scuttles around town in her go-go boots and mini-skirt and shearling coat to remedy one fresh crisis or another.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Feb. 2025
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The party’s slim, three-vote margin in the House means that any Republican lawmaker has the power to slow down legislation, if not scuttle it entirely.—
Lisa Lerer,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Many other belongings from his tomb are believed to have been relocated due to the flooding that destroyed it.—
Francesca Aton for ArtNews,
Robb Report,
20 Feb. 2025
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Baldoni countersued, accusing Lively, Reynolds and Sloane of seeking to destroy his career.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreck. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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