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
Mark Price, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Beyond the capital, go for a swim in the Blue Lagoon on Comino, explore ancient temples like the megalithic Ħaġar Qim, which predates Stonehenge, or dive into shipwrecks and limestone caves favored by scuba enthusiasts.
—Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 26 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 300-year-old coins were found over the summer on a shipwreck believed to have been part of the notorious 1715 Fleet, a group of about a dozen Spanish treasure ships that sank during a hurricane, historians say.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Beyond the capital, go for a swim in the Blue Lagoon on Comino, explore ancient temples like the megalithic Ħaġar Qim, which predates Stonehenge, or dive into shipwrecks and limestone caves favored by scuba enthusiasts.
—Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 26 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 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
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After Fred VanVleet tore his ACL less than two weeks before the start of training camp, Houston started preparing for the possibility that Amen Thompson — a 6-foot-7 defensive wrecking ball — could slide into the starting point guard role.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The organization focuses on the big disasters that often grip the headlines, such as wildfires, floods, and hurricanes – but also offers information about preparing for winter storms, tsunamis, tornados, lightning, hail and extreme heat.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Freeport-McMoRan is likely to rebound from an environmental disaster last month at its giant Grasberg mine in Indonesia that led the copper and gold producer to cut its production estimates, according to UBS.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Brian Schottenheimer battles through injuries Heading into the game against the Jets, Schottenheimer’s offensive line was wrecked by injury.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Oct. 2025
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Centuries ago, a fleet of Spanish ships laden with gold, silver and jewels taken from the New World was sailing back to Spain when a hurricane wrecked the flotilla on July 31, 1715, spilling the treasures into the sea, according to the 1715 Fleet Society.—
Kate Payne,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Because the attack came at the end of the war, and the U-boat had not received orders of any surrender, the sinking of the Eagle was reported as an engineering and boiler failure rather than an escalatory attack from a foreign adversary.—
Leanna Renee Hieber,
Big Think,
2 Oct. 2025
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For the fortieth anniversary of the sinking in 2015, bassist Rick Haynes and Lightfoot flew from a concert in Utica, New York, on their only day off from their tour, to the Upper Peninsula, then drove to Whitefish Point for an event — and not to play, just to be there with the families.—
John U. Bacon,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Griffith and CityBeat reporter Madeline Fening are facing charges, including disorderly conduct, failure to disperse, obstructing a highway and obstructing an emergency responder.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
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Luckily, clever Frances must have understood her caper was destined for failure.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shipwreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shipwreck. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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