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

Video from the Uganda Red Cross showed bodies of victims in and around the wreckage as people arrived to help following the nighttime crash. — ABC News, 17 July 2026

The 51-year-old driver was freed from the wreckage and taken to a hospital. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026

The wreckage of vehicles involved in a crash are parked on a the side of a highway in Indramayu, Indonesia, on July 13, 2026. — CBS News, 13 July 2026

Sift through the wreckage of the old plan for the pieces worth keeping, and be honest about which pieces are simply gone. — Tim Albright, Forbes.com, 10 July 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