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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Recent Examples of shipwreck
Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Inside, exhibits illustrate the history of the lighthouse, as well as the maritime history of the area, including major shipwrecks and the catastrophic Hurricane of 1938.
—Julie Tremaine, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The other half is dedicated to the Delgado family — patriarch Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), precocious Isabella (Audrina Miranda), teenager Teresa (Luna Blaise), and her boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono) — who end up shipwrecked after a dino encounter.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Noun
The heir of the painting's original owner, Dutch-Jewish art collector Jacques Goudstikke, who died in a shipwreck while fleeing Amsterdam during the war, has reportedly filed a legal claim to reclaim the artwork.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Inside, exhibits illustrate the history of the lighthouse, as well as the maritime history of the area, including major shipwrecks and the catastrophic Hurricane of 1938.
—Julie Tremaine, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
Epic story of perseverance and hope follows a 16-year-old boy who is shipwrecked in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and survives on a lifeboat with four companions: a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The other half is dedicated to the Delgado family — patriarch Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), precocious Isabella (Audrina Miranda), teenager Teresa (Luna Blaise), and her boyfriend Xavier (David Iacono) — who end up shipwrecked after a dino encounter.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shipwreck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shipwreck
Noun
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The wrecking begins when Carey (Marvin), Paul’s best friend, ill-advisedly sleeps with Julie—and then, more ill-advisedly still, confesses it to Paul the next day.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Bureau staff were told the group itself, already gutted as part of mass layoffs at the State Department in July, would refocus on migration diplomacy and disaster response rather than its traditional refugee focus.—
Ted Hesson,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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That question frames an episode that opens not with battle, but with the kind of stillness that comes before disaster.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Last week the hacks finally returned Read’s SUV, but with its electronics system totally wrecked.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
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Arguing further against a lopsided game, two Eagles defenders who wrecked Kansas City’s blocking in the Super Bowl have moved on.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The name of the album and songs on it were inspired by the real-life sinking of a yacht with the same name.—
Adam Bell,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
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In another instance, the museum spotlights a story about an unplanned sinking of the Orca, when a production boat that was pulling the onscreen boat went too fast and yanked out the Orca’s planking.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But the shot has been a life-saving public health intervention against the disease, which can lead to severe health problems, including liver cancer and failure, and death.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
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Johnson has faced six rule vote failures under his speakership, with the most recent on July 15.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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