wrack

as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of it's amazing how a raging sea can wrack a seemingly sturdy beachfront home

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrack Low bodyweight: For women in competitive sports, wracking up enough calories to balance out rigorous training can be tough, Dr. Templeton says. Alisa Hrustic, SELF, 24 June 2025 The ban also comes at especially difficult time for Haitians in a country wracked by gang violence. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025 Raised in poverty, slugged by an anti-Spanish language teacher, jumped by Anglo bullies, wracked by childhood illnesses, Jesse held dear to his mother’s encouragement to pray often, work hard, and stay positive. Richard J. Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 July 2025 The early solar system was wracked with profound instabilities, but more recently such effects have been far more subtle. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for wrack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrack
Verb
  • Her Altadena home and the surrounding community were ruined by the Eaton wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles in January.
    Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 14 Aug. 2025
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Don Sweeney, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Their job was to destroy the Amazon to make room for raising cattle.
    Terrence McCoy The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2025
  • If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The chief said the suspect wrecked the vehicle before taking a Volkswagen from a car dealership.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
  • Houses and sections of a port have been wrecked or swept out to sea.
    Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 30 July 2025
Verb
  • For a local New Orleans community, trends like this reflect two decades of regrowth after Hurricane Katrina devastated our city.
    Katy Reckdahl, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Families devastated as disturbing details emerge about shooter 2.
    , FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But true evil transcends death…As Gwen begins to receive calls in her dreams from the black phone and experience disturbing visions, her determination to solve the mystery will lead her and Finn to a snowed-in winter camp and a shattering discovery about the Grabber and their own family’s history.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025
  • What is there to say when our souls have been shattered day after day, week after week, year after year?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In 2018, the Cat 5 destroyed or demolished 484 buildings at the Panhandle’s Tyndall Air Force Base beyond repair.
    Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
  • As toadstools began to grow inside the empty building, Congress was left to consider whether to demolish or preserve it.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The woman then allegedly hit the driver’s car with a tire iron, smashed her windows, and threw a brick at her car.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Each form usually comes with a unique ability that can be used to traverse areas, clear obstacles, and enhance gameplay in some way such as swimming better in her mermaid form, crawling up webs as a spider, or smashing boulders as an elephant.
    David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrack. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

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