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
On the shipwreck the hatches are fastened properly. Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 Its events range from a Central Florida spin on a famous shipwreck to a true crime of the 1990s. Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
The park service first documented zebra mussels during a training dive at the SS Sevona shipwreck off the Sand Island shoal in 2015. Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 20 Jan. 2026 In this film, the pups get shipwrecked on a mysterious dinosaur island. Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shipwreck
Noun
  • At least, there was a lot less wrecking.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
  • 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
  • It’s been roughly 11 months since the Knicks and Celtics met in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, a series ending in disaster for the Celtics, who were favored to beat the Knicks before blowing consecutive 20-point leads to open the semifinals.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
  • The disaster declaration will cover Kankakee, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Livingston, and Will counties.
    Todd Feurer, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Trump's rocky relationship with NATO dates back to his first term, but the war with Iran has wrecked any remaining foundation, NPR's Franco Ordoñez says.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Apr. 2026
  • One is a search for stability, driven by a horror of chaos and by memories of the mayhem that wrecked his childhood and banished him to the cave.
    Michael Sheridan, Vanity Fair, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Dyer notes that Cox may well have been confused by the mental and physical trauma of the sinking and the deprivations of five days adrift.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Speaker Emily Coughlan will recap the dramatic 1912 sinking of the oceanliner and tell stories of survivors who eventually made it to Central Florida.
    Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Eno understood that creative blocks are almost always a failure of perspective, not a failure of talent, and sometimes failure can even be an important part of the process overall.
    Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
  • The agency said the failure could reduce the driver's visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
    Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

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