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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shipwreck
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
More than 1,000 silver and gold coins collectively valued at about $1 million were recovered from an 18th-century shipwreck off the coast of Florida.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 3 Oct. 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 fleet encountered a hurricane off the coast of Eastern Florida in an area now known as the Treasure Coast — named for the fact that a large number of shipwrecks took place there — and all but one of the fleet’s approximately 12 ships were destroyed.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
More than 1,000 silver and gold coins collectively valued at about $1 million were recovered from an 18th-century shipwreck off the coast of Florida.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 3 Oct. 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 coaches also decided King’s wrecking-ball approach was effective.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For people like Wasefi, with sisters and nieces back home, no amount of tourist-friendliness can compensate for this disaster.—
Vidushi Mishti Sharma,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
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The October 10 disaster killed 16 employees at Accurate Energetic Systems, which makes military and demolition explosives about 60 miles west of Nashville.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 1816 the stratosphere was saturated with Tambora’s dust, and sea ice nearly wrecked Scoresby’s ship off the eastern coast of Greenland.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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That history came to an end after wrecking crews tore down the wing’s two stories of offices and reception rooms last week.—
Darlene Superville,
Denver Post,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The most common cause is underwater earthquakes that force the seafloor to move vertically, either rising or sinking, which displaces massive volumes of water.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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The ship is so famous because its sinking was disastrous, but not tragic – Shackleton guided all 27 crew members to safety and was able to slowly remove cargo, supplies and boats before the vessel sank.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Regarding the lack of disciplinary records documenting policy violations, Payne placed blame on prison staff for failure to write Holt up for disciplinary violations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Oct. 2025
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The failure to see this coming was an inexcusable Democratic strategic catastrophe.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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