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
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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
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Recent Examples of wreck
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
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
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
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The thirty-nine-year-old Amelia Earhart and her crew of two navigators, Fred Noonan and Harry Manning, crawled out of the wreckage, unsettled but otherwise unhurt.—
Laurie Gwen Shapiro,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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Her body was recovered hours afterwards from beneath the wreckage of a building that was also damaged in the crash.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2025
Noun
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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
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From 1988 to 2023, wildlife collisions in the U.S. killed 76 people and destroyed 126 aircraft.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 June 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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But Foxx lamented how the producer ruined his legacy after being arrested in Manhattan last September following a grand jury indictment.—
Mekishana Pierre Published,
EW.com,
3 June 2025
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The relationship between Ludovico and Silvia sparked deadly resentment—Ludovico feared Giorgio might expose the affair and ruin his reputation.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
3 June 2025
Noun
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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
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Remove brush and debris piles from around the home.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2025
Noun
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The traffic alert was released Sunday at 3:27 p.m., and the last update concerning this incident was provided on Sunday at 4:26 p.m. Reports of a crash on southbound I-435 A crash has been reported on I-435 from Eastwood Trafficway/Exit 65 to 63rd Street/East 66th St/Exit 66.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2025
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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
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And don't forget: The Cubs had a deal in place for Jesús Luzardo before medicals scuttled it.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
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Historians think that more than a dozen ships were scuttled in the same area as the J.C. Ames, though only a handful have been discovered.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Verb
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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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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
Cite this Entry
“Wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreck. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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