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

The rural highway was closed in both directions while the crash was investigated and the wreckage cleared. —Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

The vehicle then caught fire, and Molina was pulled from the wreckage. —Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026

The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026

One woman suffered serious injuries and had to be extricated after being pinned inside the wreckage. —Doug Myers, CBS News, 4 Jan. 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