as in collisions
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
Relevance
1
2
as in ruins
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
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 wrecks
Laura Berrios, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Tesla is recalling over 218,000 vehicles because when drivers reverse, the rearview camera image may lag, potentially causing wrecks and injuries, according to a notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Look, these wrecks are a dime-a-dozen at places like Talladega and Daytona.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The researchers also identified wrecks from as recent as the beginning of World War II, documenting the remains of a Maiale, or Pig — a kind of submarine used by the Italian navy to attack the British fleet in the Strait of Gibraltar during World War II, according to Andreo.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Winkler had studied thousands of wrecks.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
But upon entering, students are fighting with each other, learning how to get into wrecks, and generally falling on the ground a lot.
—Matias Ocner, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
The crash was just the latest in a series of incidents involving auto wrecks and drugs for the golfer.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
While traditionally believed not to be a problem (unless visiting wrecks or ammo dumps), awareness is now growing that the sunken munitions could pose a serious environmental risk.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 May 2026
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2026
This process wrecks kidney and heart tissue, causing the heart to enlarge and blood vessels to become stiffer, impeding circulation and setting the stage for clots.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The larger dragon has two car launchers and a fire-breathing effect that wrecks passing cars.
—Clint Davis, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
That sport is so incredible and wrecks your body.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Messy data wrecks forecasts, distorts reporting and wastes time.
—Thasha Batts, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
McNeal’s unit handles patients who are coming out of surgery or have trauma from car wrecks or falls.
—Laura Berrios, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Tesla is recalling over 218,000 vehicles because when drivers reverse, the rearview camera image may lag, potentially causing wrecks and injuries, according to a notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Look, these wrecks are a dime-a-dozen at places like Talladega and Daytona.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The researchers also identified wrecks from as recent as the beginning of World War II, documenting the remains of a Maiale, or Pig — a kind of submarine used by the Italian navy to attack the British fleet in the Strait of Gibraltar during World War II, according to Andreo.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Winkler had studied thousands of wrecks.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
But upon entering, students are fighting with each other, learning how to get into wrecks, and generally falling on the ground a lot.
—Matias Ocner, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
The crash was just the latest in a series of incidents involving auto wrecks and drugs for the golfer.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
While traditionally believed not to be a problem (unless visiting wrecks or ammo dumps), awareness is now growing that the sunken munitions could pose a serious environmental risk.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Kyle Busch wrecks Ron Hornaday under caution!
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 May 2026
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
In a film like this, you’re ostensibly meant to root against the terror that the central characters wrecks on his victims.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2026
This process wrecks kidney and heart tissue, causing the heart to enlarge and blood vessels to become stiffer, impeding circulation and setting the stage for clots.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The larger dragon has two car launchers and a fire-breathing effect that wrecks passing cars.
—Clint Davis, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
That sport is so incredible and wrecks your body.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Messy data wrecks forecasts, distorts reporting and wastes time.
—Thasha Batts, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrecks
Noun
-
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office reported two pedestrians were killed Friday in separate collisions.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2026
-
Boundary collisions will produce a few strong storms with gusty winds, frequent lightning and heavy rain, NWS said.—
Elainie Colton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, young boys gradually become feral and sadistic when trapped on an island together, and in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero magically shipwrecks his brother and his allies so that they will all be exiled together under his watch.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
This scale quickly clogs ordinary solar stills, much like calcium buildup ruins your bathroom showerhead.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
-
Castelsardo, Sardinia Lovely Castelsardo, with its meandering streets, knockout beaches, and Bronze Age ruins, makes a picture-perfect seaside base for exploring the northern coast of Sardinia.—
Anne Olivia Bauso,
Travel + Leisure,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
In 2024, 1,103 bicyclists died in traffic crashes, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
24 May 2026
-
As a result, some deadly crashes involving young riders aren’t included in the count.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Besides the occasional random spider that scuttles indoors, some spiders can live in out-of-the-way spots in your home, such as along ceilings or in basements and behind clutter.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The agreement follows years of uncertainty over the papers' future and scuttles a rival bid by the owner of the Daily Mail to buy the Telegraph titles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The disease — a fatal, genetic neurological disorder that progressively destroys nerve cells in the brain — did not just affect Spalding physically.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
-
And this destroys a lot of Putin’s narrative.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The industry has been well aware of the risks of the types of chemical accidents that can lead to a thermal runaway reaction, posing the risk of an explosion.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
Some of the most influential American innovations began as side projects, accidents, or niche engineering solutions before quietly changing how people communicate, travel, work, eat, and survive.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The aftermath of one of Otto’s decisions gives Beever as Léna some rich material to work through, but strands Machado-Graner to an extent, including in a short subplot that feels like it was plucked from an entirely different screenplay.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
-
Whale biologists generally hold that a whale that repeatedly strands itself usually has severe underlying health issues; even towing it back out to deeper waters may not keep it from starving or drowning.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecks. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
