wreckage

noun

wreck·​age ˈre-kij 

1

: the act of wrecking : the state of being wrecked

2

a

: something that has been wrecked

b

: broken and disordered parts or material from something wrecked

Synonyms of wreckage

• devastation
• destruction
• havoc
• demolition
• loss
• extinction

Examples of wreckage in a Sentence

Workers sifted through the wreckage of the building, searching for bodies.

They cleared the wreckage from the track.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ocean Infinity will be paid $70 million only if wreckage is discovered. —ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026

All around Union City — a village of less than 2,000 people — men, women and children scrambled to clean up the wreckage of a tornado that tore through late Friday evening. —Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 7 Mar. 2026

The airplane wreckage is now at a secure location and will be examined as part of the investigation, the federal report says. —Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, 6 Mar. 2026

When Sneaky Snook in his mail truck happened upon the wreckage near the boundary of Meredith Downs, sheep were scattered along the roadside and the fence, bleating, dazed. —Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wreckage

noun

wreck·​age ˈrek-ij 

1

a

: the act of wrecking

b

: the state of being wrecked

2

: the remains of a wreck