wracked

past tense of wrack
as in destroyed
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of it's amazing how a raging sea can wrack a seemingly sturdy beachfront home

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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 wracked Kim The call left Kim Grindell disgusted, furious and wracked with guilt. Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 20 June 2026 The chaos has compounded existing difficulties for poorer or developing economies, many of which were already wracked by public-debt crises that deepened in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 18 June 2026 Mali, alongside neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, have been wracked by coups in recent years and are now ruled by military leaders who took power by force, pledging to provide more security to citizens. ABC News, 10 June 2026 His narrator is writing in response to a request from his grandchildren, and his narrative is wracked by a sense of dishonor and guilt. Ivan Kreilkamp, JSTOR Daily, 10 June 2026 This suffering earth is wracked by extremes. Literary Hub, 10 June 2026 The city, long wracked by gun violence, has come to have virtually no licensed dealers within its boundaries; those that remain are mostly in the suburbs. Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 1 June 2026 That is hindering efforts to stop the spread of the virus and track those at risk in an area already wracked by conflict and with poor health infrastructure, health officials said. Jennifer Rigby, USA Today, 28 May 2026 Rowe wracked her brain for something, or someone, who might be able to help her sister. Kavitha Surana, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wracked
Verb
  • The second inferno killed 12 people, destroyed 6,500 structures across the Palisades and Malibu and cost billions in damage and insurance claims.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
  • In Paradise, California, a community destroyed by wildfire adopted the ‘Wildfire Prepared Home Standard’ as its mandatory rebuilding benchmark.
    Nina Seega, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Its front-facing design deters pickpockets, while the water-resistant fabric protects your phone from surprise downpours or sweaty adventure days—because no one wants their phone ruined halfway through a trip.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026
  • In practice, organic liquids like crude oil ruined everything.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • In March, prolonged high temperatures shattered dozens of records in Southern California.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • Williams arrived to find the business' windows shattered, after the roof of nearby restaurant Jay's Backyard BBQ collapsed in the blaze.
    Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • In a phone interview with The Times, her sister, Vanessa Marseille, said the family was shocked and devastated over the incident.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • Wilson was devastated by losing debates about the design of Congress and the presidency, and in particular by the convention’s refusal to acknowledge the centrality of regular people to the government.
    Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • Just across the Mississippi River in Avondale, Louisiana, a tornado wrecked four homes, Jefferson Parish spokeswoman Rachel Strassel said.
    CBS News, CBS News, 19 June 2026
  • Jane Ragsdale’s best friend Christine Chenoweth, a pastoral counselor and former Presbyterian minister, says the South Fork of the Guadalupe is now lousy and wrecked and haunted.
    Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • When the new plant opens, Fiveash will eventually be decommissioned and demolished, but not right away.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2026
  • The existing residence was demolished, though plans to build a new house never moved forward.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Archer's wickets were smashed by an unplayable shooter under his bat.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 June 2026
  • The suspect also allegedly attacked a car at a gas station, which was found with its windows smashed out and an axe inside, and he was seen pushing down shelves inside the station’s market, BBC News reported.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • In a rematch of the WNBA’s first-ever game from June 21, 1997, the Sparks overcame a 17-point Liberty lead, all while celebrating the inaugural matchup — and iconic alumni — that changed women’s sports forever.
    Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
  • Leviatán were arguably considered underdogs in all these matches, but overcame the odds to make the final and set up a rematch against Paper Rex.
    Mike Stubbs, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wracked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracked. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

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