plural shipwrecks
1
: the destruction or sinking of a ship at sea
Only a few sailors survived the shipwreck.
The crew narrowly avoided shipwreck.
2
: a ruined or destroyed ship
Divers searched the sunken shipwreck.
—sometimes used figurativelyHis marriage was a shipwreck.
Cite this Entry
“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/shipwreck. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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