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

• 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

A bit further from the wreckage was a leather purse, jacket and a small pair of brown heeled boots next to a broken and bloody plastic chair. —Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Oct. 2025

Lightning looms as winds threaten to push the tower over, but somehow the rescue team frees him from the wreckage to safety. —Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Oct. 2025

The vessel imploded while on its 88th dive, killing five people on a deep-sea voyage to the Titanic wreckage on June 18, 2023. —Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2025

The future more likely belongs to someone less visible today, someone junior enough to escape public blame for the present catastrophe yet seasoned enough to rise from the wreckage. —Karim Sadjadpour, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 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