shipwreck 1 of 2

noun

ˈship-ˌrek How to pronounce shipwreck (audio)
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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
For Cline, Day Drinker will test whether her huge online following and all those fans who’ve spent the past six years watching her survive shipwrecks and shootouts on Netflix are ready to follow her onto dry land and into movie theaters. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026 Archaeologists examining an ancient shipwreck recently revealed a trove of gold — and evidence that a wealthy and powerful passenger and his entourage may have been aboard. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 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 See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shipwreck
  1. wrecking
  2. disaster
  3. wreck
  4. sinking
  5. catastrophe
  6. failure
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
Definition of wrecking
Noun
  • Sceye and SoftBank used an emergency alert system designed for large-scale disasters.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The scale of the disaster has proved challenging for authorities, with morgues overwhelmed by a large number of unidentified remains.
    — Andrew Jones, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • The violent swings that powered his game, launching golf balls far beyond his competitors, also wrecked his back and knees.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • An eight-game lead with 25 games left is a virtual lock for Brewers manager Pat Murphy and his wrecking crew, as even optimistic Cubs fans understand.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of wreck
Noun
  • The lack of wreckage has hampered efforts to determine the cause of the sinking and where to focus search operations, authorities said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • One of his first major tests in office was the sinking of the Kursk, a nuclear submarine that went down with 118 sailors on board.
    — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of sinking
Noun
  • More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead and thousands remain missing after the catastrophe, according to authorities in both countries.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • As the story moves breathlessly through the neighborhood’s streets and interiors, Kodeih, who also edited the feature, and cinematographer Tony Kopec zero in on a jumpy, kinetic tension between looming catastrophe and potential triumph.
    — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • Their failure to receive one may be attributed to their having vague symptoms, such as a general feeling of malaise, weakness, or fluctuating muscle pain.
    — Jerome Groopman, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Compounding the issue was UM’s failure to get to the quarterback.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of failure

Browse Nearby Words

ships (out)
shipwreck
shipwrecked
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Cite this Entry

“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shipwreck

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shipwreck

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