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

• annihilation
• decimation
• demolishment
• demolition
• desolation
• destruction
• devastation
• extermination
• extinction
• havoc
• loss
• mincemeat
• obliteration
• ruin
• ruination
• wastage

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 collapse of the communist regime had left behind unimaginable wreckage: the economy was dead, corruption was everywhere, people's spirits had been utterly crushed. —Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025

The oldest survivor of Flight 212, Mihalek was 46 at the time of the crash and helped pull co-pilot Jim Daniels away from the wreckage. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025

Working alongside him is Thia, played by Elle Fanning, who fans speculate is a Weyland-Yutani android owing to a vague logo spotted in the the wreckage of a ship. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025

Images from the scene show search crews scouring the river and pulling wreckage from the water. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025

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