Synonyms of shipwreck

shipwreck 1 of 2

noun

ˈship-ˌrek 

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

• wrecking
• wreck
• sinking
• shipwrecking
• wreckage
• stranding
• beaching
• foundering
• grounding
• scuttling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovery
• salvage
• salvaging

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disaster
• catastrophe
• failure
• disappointment
• bust
• loser
• bomb
• fiasco
• washout
• flop
• debacle
• lemon
• miss
• frost
• clinker
• mess
• dud
• clunker
• turkey
• has-been
• fizzle
• bummer
• dog
• shambles
• also-ran
• botch
• hash
• near miss
• muddle
• nonevent
• nonstarter

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• success
• hit
• winner
• blockbuster
• smash
• phenomenon
• corker
• crackerjack
• dandy
• jim-dandy

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wreck
• scuttle
• beach
• strand
• founder

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recover
• salvage

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shipwreck

Noun

In fact, during storms and shipwrecks, shipping containers regularly go overboard. — Alexander Klose, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

Alternatively, head to the dramatic sea cliffs surrounding the Edro III shipwreck for one of the city’s most memorable morning or evening panoramas. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026

Verb

In 1623, Francis Bacon penned The New Atlantis, which recounts the rescue of sailors shipwrecked off of the eastern coast of South America. — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 28 Apr. 2026

Over Your Dead Body follows a married couple whose relationship is beyond shipwrecked. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026