1
as in wrecking
the destruction or loss of a ship
the shipwreck of much of the Spanish Armada ended Spain's plans for invading England
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disaster
something that has failed
finally admitted that their marriage was a shipwreck and that the time had come to bail out
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shipwreck
Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Ocracoke is home to a herd of Wild Banker Horses that are the descendants of Spanish mustangs that ended up on the island after a shipwreck several hundred years ago.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026
Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 20 Jan. 2026
In this film, the pups get shipwrecked on a mysterious dinosaur island.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Noun
Prior to 2019, only four underwater archaeological sites were known in the area, and only one of those could be considered the result of a shipwreck, according to the researchers.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Ocracoke is home to a herd of Wild Banker Horses that are the descendants of Spanish mustangs that ended up on the island after a shipwreck several hundred years ago.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
The park service first documented zebra mussels during a training dive at the SS Sevona shipwreck off the Sand Island shoal in 2015.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 20 Jan. 2026
In this film, the pups get shipwrecked on a mysterious dinosaur island.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shipwreck
Noun
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At least, there was a lot less wrecking.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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While stationed in Japan, Fryday helped coordinate disaster relief efforts after the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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In year three, there were still injuries, and the team was a disaster.—
David Troy,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
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That's what usually happens when the leaders wreck at Daytona and 'Dega.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Two cars were wrecked and two people suffered injuries in a crash on busy Irving Park Road in the neighborhood of the same name early Monday morning.—
Kris Habermehl,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Russia still lags well behind the West — and China — in overall ship numbers, and its navy has suffered serious setbacks in the Black Sea at the hands of Ukraine, including the sinking of the fleet’s flagship.—
Alan Crawford,
Bloomberg,
20 Apr. 2026
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It's believed that Harbeck was hired by the White Star Line, the company operating the Titanic, to document her maiden voyage, but Harbeck was lost during the sinking and never able to corroborate the story.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Their bite can lead to rapid respiratory failure and paralysis without prompt medical treatment.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Doe alleges the school’s failure to act caused long-term emotional and psychological harm that continues today.—
Lexi Nicklaus,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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