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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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More than a dozen scientists, meteorologists and disaster experts queried by The Associated Press put the March heat wave in a kind of ultra-extreme classification with such events as the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, the 2022 Pakistan floods and killer hurricanes Helene, Harvey and Sandy.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
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The satellites would be used to power solar panels, even during non-peak sun hours, as well as to illuminate disaster zones and expand daytime hours.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The episode about Secret Squirrel and the perils of surveillance culture feels more relevant than ever, as does the climate-change episode in which the time-traveling Jetson family sues people of the present for wrecking their future.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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Zelenskyy said late Monday that counterattacks by Ukrainian forces at eastern and southern points along the front line have wrecked Moscow's plans for a March offensive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Coast Guard and Massachusetts Environmental Police are investigating the sinking of the Yankee Rose.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
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The sinking killed at least 87 sailors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The foundation said that besides Lee's 911 call, at least four other 911 calls were made by others that day, including from her husband and people who saw parts of the crime unfolding -- but that communication failures and other issues prevented help from being sent.—
DAVID FISCHER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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The cause of the failure was still being investigated.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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