as in wreck
the destruction or loss of a ship
the wrecking of the freighter was one of the worst disasters ever on the Great Lakes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in scuttling
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
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 wrecking
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
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
In one case, the life of an upper-class woman and contemporary of Julius Caesar, Clodia, saw her reputation destroyed by false claims of harlotry, home-wrecking, and husband-killing.
—Time, 24 Nov. 2025
The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Leaving a dog at home alone can be nerve-wrecking for many owners, but pet-cam footage shows why Larry the greyhound's owner has nothing to worry about.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
The wrecking begins when Carey (Marvin), Paul’s best friend, ill-advisedly sleeps with Julie—and then, more ill-advisedly still, confesses it to Paul the next day.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
The tornado left a trail of damage in Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday night, wrecking an RV park, toppling power lines, leveling homes and destroying a storage facility near West 255th Street.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Then the game-wrecking interior defensive lineman had a down year coming off surgery for a dislocated elbow.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Cincinnati has been seeking a young, game-wrecking defensive tackle for nearly a decade.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The brand nails high-quality essentials that look luxe without wrecking your travel budget.
—Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
But here’s the thing — ignoring your gutters is one of the fastest ways to turn a free weekend project into a budget-wrecking emergency repair.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
The episode about Secret Squirrel and the perils of surveillance culture feels more relevant than ever, as does the climate-change episode in which the time-traveling Jetson family sues people of the present for wrecking their future.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Elsewhere, a driver was rescued after calling 911 when her Chevy sedan stalled in high water, wrecking just off the road in Morgan Township, according to dispatchers.
—Jennifer Edwards Baker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
At least, there was a lot less wrecking.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
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
In one case, the life of an upper-class woman and contemporary of Julius Caesar, Clodia, saw her reputation destroyed by false claims of harlotry, home-wrecking, and husband-killing.
—Time, 24 Nov. 2025
The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Leaving a dog at home alone can be nerve-wrecking for many owners, but pet-cam footage shows why Larry the greyhound's owner has nothing to worry about.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
The wrecking begins when Carey (Marvin), Paul’s best friend, ill-advisedly sleeps with Julie—and then, more ill-advisedly still, confesses it to Paul the next day.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
The animal begins wrecking the fields and terrorizing the people.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
The tornado left a trail of damage in Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday night, wrecking an RV park, toppling power lines, leveling homes and destroying a storage facility near West 255th Street.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Then the game-wrecking interior defensive lineman had a down year coming off surgery for a dislocated elbow.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Cincinnati has been seeking a young, game-wrecking defensive tackle for nearly a decade.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The brand nails high-quality essentials that look luxe without wrecking your travel budget.
—Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
But here’s the thing — ignoring your gutters is one of the fastest ways to turn a free weekend project into a budget-wrecking emergency repair.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
The episode about Secret Squirrel and the perils of surveillance culture feels more relevant than ever, as does the climate-change episode in which the time-traveling Jetson family sues people of the present for wrecking their future.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Elsewhere, a driver was rescued after calling 911 when her Chevy sedan stalled in high water, wrecking just off the road in Morgan Township, according to dispatchers.
—Jennifer Edwards Baker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrecking
Noun
-
Locating the wreck connects us to their sacrifice and reminds us that devotion to duty endures.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The wreck happened on the outbound Eisenhower (I-290) at Wolf Road in Hillside.—
Kris Habermehl,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Downstairs, a styling session for the fall 2026 collection; up here, on the fourth floor, almost every inch of space is taken by patternmakers, bolts of fabric, designers scuttling about, and racks and more racks of clothes.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Paramount cliched its $31-a-share in cash merger for WBD on February 27, scuttling Warner’s previous agreement with Netflix.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some had been there so long that corrosion was destroying them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
This past offseason, discussion and speculation around Major League Baseball was that the Los Angeles Dodgers would be responsible for destroying the sport and the 2027 season.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
As long as the Cubs are forced to rely on less proven arms while manager Craig Counsell navigates usage and injuries, preventing big innings by stranding runners is an important piece of the pitching staff’s effectiveness.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Key moment The Twins were unable to cash in on a pair of walks in the top of the eighth inning, stranding the bases loaded when Luke Keaschall popped up to the catcher in foul territory.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Determining how the teen died took time, and after months of additional investigation, prosecutors announced charges against D4vd that allege her murder was a premeditated attempt to keep her from ruining his music career by exposing their underage relationship.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally, wet windows can accumulate condensation overnight, potentially ruining your hard work.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has overseen dramatic cosmetic changes on the White House grounds during his second term, including paving over the grassy line of the famous Rose Garden and demolishing the White House's East Wing to make way for a massive ballroom.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
Mary Shepard Place — built in the 1940s as Bellevue Square in the Clay Arsenal neighborhood — would be redeveloped in two phases, demolishing a total of 127, low-income apartments and replacing them with 159.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a race for the ages, Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds on Sunday, shattering the previous men’s world record by an astonishing 65 seconds.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The Kenyan runner won the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, shattering the previous men’s world record by 65 seconds.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wrecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrecking. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
