1
as in wrecking
the destruction or loss of a ship
the shipwreck of much of the Spanish Armada ended Spain's plans for invading England
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disaster
something that has failed
finally admitted that their marriage was a shipwreck and that the time had come to bail out
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Recent Examples of shipwreck
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Mar. 2026
The Geneva Conventions says nations have a duty to take all possible measures to rescue victims of shipwrecks.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Jan. 2026
The show, which ran for three seasons from 1964 to 1967, centered around seven castaways who have to survive after getting shipwrecked on an uncharted island.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Noun
Researchers have discovered an extraordinary underwater cache of shipwrecks across 328 feet of seafloor in northeastern Libya, illuminating a once-thriving ancient port.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Mar. 2026
The Geneva Conventions says nations have a duty to take all possible measures to rescue victims of shipwrecks.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
In this film, the pups get shipwrecked on a mysterious dinosaur island.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Jan. 2026
The show, which ran for three seasons from 1964 to 1967, centered around seven castaways who have to survive after getting shipwrecked on an uncharted island.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shipwreck
Noun
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At least, there was a lot less wrecking.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Hefty extra wattage is apparently needed to keep the Mar-a-Lago lights on in the event of an unforeseen disaster such as a war, or flying sports court glass, or a late ketchup delivery.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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Only instead of the flood of a players’ strike, this time the disaster will come cloaked in the fire of an owners’ lockout.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One such attack on March 27 wrecked an AWACS at Prince Sultan Air Base in eastern Saudi Arabia.—
Sig Christenson,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Apr. 2026
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The war goes on, and Iran has shown its ability to hit American targets in the region, as well as to wreck the global economy.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line are also off course, running aground and sinking.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
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This isn't a part -- this isn't just about a ship sinking.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In 2023, the number dropped significantly, even as supervision failures within jails persisted, down to 63.—
Ryan Oehrli
April 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
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Prosecutors also cited Cortez Johnson's prior probation violations, failures to appear, and past convictions.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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