train wreck
noun
variants
or less commonly trainwreck
plural train wrecks also trainwrecks
1
: a violent and destructive crash involving a train
2
: an utter disaster or mess : a disastrous calamity or source of trouble
Six months later, with Washington facing a political train wreck in Iraq, whom did it call? The United Nations.—
Fareed Zakaria
Fareed ZakariaThe train wreck that was Florence Ballard could not be hidden anymore. … Those shows went on without a hitch, but with Ballard progressively drinking harder, disaster awaited them as they trekked from Miami to play several college dates across the South.—Mark Ballard
Mark Ballard… to create what is termed on Capitol Hill a train wreck—a budget crisis so awful that the President would have to seriously negotiate, and yield on taxes.—Elizabeth Drew
Elizabeth DrewExamples of train wreck in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Talk about watching a train wreck in real time: Houseguest Devin Shepherd was all over the place in his season.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 5 July 2025
The pair called the merger a train wreck and blamed it for messing up the series.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 July 2025
Many have been watching this slow-motion train wreck for years.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 29 June 2025
Read Bolton’s reporting: ‘GOP senators hope to avoid Trump agenda becoming a ‘train wreck’’
➤ ANOTHER STEP IN FORMALIZING THE GULF OF AMERICA:
House Republicans passed a bill this morning to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for train wreck
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Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 5 July 2025
The pair called the merger a train wreck and blamed it for messing up the series.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 July 2025
Many have been watching this slow-motion train wreck for years.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 29 June 2025
Read Bolton’s reporting: ‘GOP senators hope to avoid Trump agenda becoming a ‘train wreck’’
➤ ANOTHER STEP IN FORMALIZING THE GULF OF AMERICA:
House Republicans passed a bill this morning to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for train wreck
Cite this Entry
“Train wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/train%20wreck. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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