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
See Caribbean and global acts at the BVI Music Festival Courtesy of British Virgin Islands/Andrea France In June, BVI Wreck Week, a collection of events organized by the BVI Scuba Organization, combines exceptional wreck diving with island-wide festivities celebrating the BVI’s maritime history. AFAR Media, 22 May 2025 Last fall, two maritime historians found the wreck of the John Evenson, which was lost to the water in 1895. Sam Gillette, People.com, 21 May 2025
Verb
That meant late nights, early wake-ups, work events, and heels that wreck your feet, plus years of jet lag from endless travel. Jessica Sibley, Time, 19 May 2025 Soon, the film studio’s fortunes turned with films like Die Hard – the explanation that producers Joel Silver and Larry Gordon gave in getting permission to use the Fox headquarters for Nakatomi Plaza for one night, only to stay weeks and wreck the place – is hilarious. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreck
Noun
  • Sparks fly from the wreckage like shooting stars falling from heaven.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 20 May 2025
  • Kyffin Simpson flipped over during Fast Friday, with Colton Herta went airborne during Saturday's qualifying. 2025 INDY 500 ODDS: KYLE LARSON DROPS ON BOARD AFTER QUALIFYING 21ST McLaughlin was able to emerge from the wreckage and appeared to avoid any major injuries.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2025
Noun
  • From 1988 to 2023, wildlife collisions in the U.S. killed 76 people and destroyed 126 aircraft.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 June 2025
  • Daniel David Parra, 21, was killed in a collision between his Kawasaki motorcycle and a gray Toyota RAV4 SUV in the 3100 block of West Sunrise Boulevard, Lauderhill police said Sunday.
    David Fleshler, Sun Sentinel, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • The 18th-century vessels were shipwrecked in 1710, and archaeologists only recently discovered that the ships – long believed to be pirate ships – were used to transport slaves.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2025
  • Historical sources had recorded that two Danish slave vessels were shipwrecked off the coast of Central America in 1710: The Fridericus Quartus was set on fire, while the anchor rope of the Christianus Quintus was cut and the ship was swept away.
    Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • There were missions that felt like a rally racing mini-game, asking me to navigate between timer-extending rings dotting barren desert ruins.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2025
  • The situation took a turn when Amy accidentally ruined her earbuds in the wash.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Fortunately, the lighter rainfall levels have decreased the risk of a debris flow taking place in the Eaton and Palisades fire burn scars, a possibility forecasters warned of Monday.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
  • Satellite imagery showing two Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft with tires and debris on the wings at the Ivanovo air base, Russia, on May 3, 2025.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Near the start of their senior years in 1951, three of Jennings’ close friends, including two mutual friends of Atkinson, died in a vehicle crash in Santa Barbara.
    Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 June 2025
  • The United States Air Force performed full military honors Saturday at the funeral of the 18-year-old woman killed in a jet ski hit-and-run crash last weekend at Grapevine Lake.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • Twenty-two teams voted in favor of a ban and 10 teams opposed it − two votes short of what was needed to scuttle the play.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 24 May 2025
  • Republicans don’t want to defy the wishes of Trump, but the prescription drug industry is generous during election years and GOP lawmakers are under heavy pressure to scuttle his order, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • During the week of my embed, the Russian military identified and destroyed a few of the Vampire pilots’ positions.
    Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025
  • The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea from a group of Native American activists and supporters to block a copper mining company from destroying an Apache religious site.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 27 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreck. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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