shipwreck 1 of 2

Definition of shipwrecknext
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

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2

shipwreck

2 of 2

verb

as in to wreck
to cause irreparable damage to (a ship) by running aground or sinking the yachtsman fell asleep at the wheel and shipwrecked his ketch on the rocks

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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 shipwreck
Noun
Multiple shipwrecks have been found in the bay, including the wreckage of Napoleon's fleet from the 1798 Battle of the Nile. CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025 In addition to the shipwreck, locals and meteorologists flooded social media with striking images of the temporary lakebed, highlighting the unusual effect of the winds across the lake. Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 28 Nov. 2025
Verb
And killing two people who are shipwrecked at sea is also morally repugnant. NBC news, 7 Dec. 2025 The four tried to sail across the sea but were shipwrecked in Spain, where all four of them survived and went on to their next adventure in Not Mexico together. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shipwreck
Noun
  • The coaches also decided King’s wrecking-ball approach was effective.
    Seth Emerson, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.
    Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • More than a year after the disaster, which killed all but two people on board, much is still unclear about why the passenger jet crash landed.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Jan. 2026
  • The councilwoman emphasized that every neighborhood in Los Angeles is just one disaster from devastation.
    City News Service, Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Guardiola’s lads look back to their best in the early months of this season after the extended wobble in the previous one that wrecked their hopes of a fifth straight domestic title.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Phillips croons about a mother’s bond with her child as Swinton walks off, her character freshly wrecked by a visit with her son in prison.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Land subsidence is the sinking or collapsing of surface land due to the removal of things such as underground water, oil or gas.
    Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Rescuers found the first victim, the 12-year-old Spanish girl, three days later, floating near the northern waters of Serai island, fewer than a mile from the site of the sinking.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Patients’ failure to take their medicine as prescribed is a major challenge that contributes to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths and billions of dollars in health care costs annually.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Continue reading … SKIDDING TO SAFETY – All plane tires burst on Boeing 767 during harrowing landing failure.
    , FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

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