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
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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Recent Examples of shipwreck
Skyler Caruso, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
After surviving the shipwreck, Pi’s joy, humor and despair turn on a dime as his lifeboat is beset by surviving animals — a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan named Orange Juice, and our Royal Bengal tiger.
—John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025
Malta is known for the warmth of its people, as noted in the Book of Apostles when St. Paul was said to have been shipwrecked off the island coast in 60CE and found a welcoming community of locals.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Noun
Bored, the duo turned to Google for activity inspiration and found shipwrecks in the area.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
After surviving the shipwreck, Pi’s joy, humor and despair turn on a dime as his lifeboat is beset by surviving animals — a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan named Orange Juice, and our Royal Bengal tiger.
—John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
Lord of the Flies – A new BBC adaptation of William Golding’s book about a group of boys shipwrecked on a deserted island.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025
Malta is known for the warmth of its people, as noted in the Book of Apostles when St. Paul was said to have been shipwrecked off the island coast in 60CE and found a welcoming community of locals.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shipwreck
Noun
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The march happened after more disasters caused by climate change and pollution impacted the country.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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After severe storms hit the state in mid-March, Sanders applied for disaster relief through FEMA, under what's known as a major disaster declaration.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The cops also seized his cellphone and tore apart his home of two years, wrecking his recording setup in the process.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
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As many little heartbeats as possible, just running around, wrecking stuff in the house.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Stories of failure on both sides of the debate are prevalent.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 May 2025
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While many assume lack of credit is the main barrier to success, CEO Daniel Bradley emphasizes a deeper truth: cash flow issues—not just access to capital—are often the root cause of business failure.—
Jon Stojan,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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