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
The waters off Staniel Cay hold coral reefs and shipwrecks, and are home to a range of wildlife including sea turtles, stingrays and sharks. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 24 June 2026 Ten migrants survived the shipwreck, which occurred on June 12 in the Mediterranean Sea, off the eastern part of the North African nation, according to the Abreen group, which tracks movements of migrants in eastern Libya. ABC News, 19 June 2026
Verb
This reimagining of the classic tale of the white European male shipwrecked on a desert island is brave, funny, wild and spellbinding. The Know, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026 Your host, Miranda, offers a back story to the project that involves her family of scientists being shipwrecked on an island off South America upon which many of the dinosaurs somehow survived to the present day. Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 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
  • Rodríguez said numerous public officials died in the disaster, including security personnel, municipal employees and military officers.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • The Boyle Heights blaze, similar to the Eaton and Palisades fires, has revealed the region’s air monitoring can’t always tell people what they’ve been exposed to in a disaster.
    Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • The good news is that dermatologists and makeup artists have figured out how to keep your SPF topped up without wrecking your foundation, blush or setting spray.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • In the history of mankind, socialist success stories are as rare as triple plays in baseball, but plenty of countries have been wrecked by it — Venezuela and Cuba, to name just two.
    Michael Zais, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • Finding the wreck Official records detailing Hōfuku Maru’s sinking were incomplete and inconsistent, Beckensall said.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 18 June 2026
  • Actual sinking exercises provide valuable data on structural damage, flooding, shock effects, and sinking behaviour.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 June 2026
Noun
  • Days before the five-year anniversary of the 2021 building collapse that killed 98 people in Surfside, the federal government has published findings that determined the structure of the Champlain Towers South condominium started failing about three weeks before the catastrophe.
    Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026
  • Chile introduced a tax deduction for catastrophe insurance premiums and resilience retrofit investment.
    Nina Seega, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • According to Castillo, one of the most significant failures has been the tendency to treat many squatter complaints as civil disputes rather than criminal investigations.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Spence also appears to be absorbing the blame for broader failures, with Thomas Tuchel’s touchline frustrations obvious and — for a player still establishing himself at this level — that scrutiny is unlikely to help.
    Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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