shipwreck

verb

shipwrecked; shipwrecking; shipwrecks

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause to experience shipwreck

b

: ruin

2

: to destroy (a ship) by grounding or foundering

Synonyms of shipwreck

• wreck

Examples of shipwreck in a Sentence

the yachtsman fell asleep at the wheel and shipwrecked his ketch on the rocks

Recent Examples on the Web

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, 11 May 2026

Unique experiences include shipwreck scuba diving in the Straits of Mackinac and checking out the sights from the stunning Castle Rock viewpoint. —Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2026

Over Your Dead Body follows a married couple whose relationship is beyond shipwrecked. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026

In 1543 several Portuguese were shipwrecked on the island of Tanega, off southern Kyushu. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

shipwreck

1 of 2 noun

ship·​wreck -ˌrek 

1

: a wrecked ship

2

: the destruction or loss of a ship

shipwreck

2 of 2 verb

1

: to cause to experience shipwreck

a storm that shipwrecked the sailors

2

: to destroy (a ship) by driving ashore or sinking