wracked

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Almost overnight, the team has come to embody an alternative future for a country still wracked by nationalistic politics. — Arminka Helic, Time, 30 June 2026 The collection came about in a time of uncertainty and fear in the immigrant community, Galvan said, as federal immigration enforcement crackdowns wracked the region. — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 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 This suffering earth is wracked by extremes. — Literary Hub, 10 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wracked
  1. destroyed
  2. ruined
  3. shattered
  4. devastated
  5. wrecked
  6. demolished
  7. smashed
  8. overcame
Verb
  • One residence was damaged and a minor structure was destroyed, according to an incident update.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • After powerful twin earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela and destroyed their home in the coastal town of Caraballeda last month, Maria and her brother Damian, 13, were taken in by their aunt, Mercedes Osul.
    — Osmary Hernández, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of destroyed
Verb
  • Michael seemed to be saying that by admitting her dishonesty, Ethel would have ruined their childhood and poisoned any prospect of a future relationship with her.
    — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
  • Instead of fighting with Whitney, Lindsay has a talk with Yvonne about how Lindsay ruined Yvonne’s wedding by making it all about her.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 8 July 2026
Definition of ruined
Verb
  • In the summer of 2024, Svalbard shattered previous ice melt records, losing more than 60 gigatons of ice, around 1% of its total, as temperatures spiked 7 degrees Fahrenheit above average.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
  • The surge shattered a four-year-old record of 99,445 GWh set back in July 2022.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Definition of shattered
Verb
  • In a separate GoFundMe page, Castillo’s family said they were devastated by his death.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
  • The new flight comes as American Airlines twice daily direct flights between MIA and Caracas remain suspended following multiple earthquakes on June 24 that devastated Venezuela’s capital.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of devastated
Verb
  • The vessel eventually wrecked on a reef in the Florida Keys in 1827, drowning 41 people.
    — Amara Evering, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
  • Flash flooding in southeastern Missouri wrecked a campground and carried away about a dozen people, according to local authorities.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of wrecked
Verb
  • West Harbor is the redevelopment of the former waterfront Ports O'Call Village, which was demolished in 2018.
    — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • The two-acre space was the site of the California State Building, which suffered systemic damage in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and was demolished five years later.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of demolished
Verb
  • This ice is thought to contain material from asteroids and comets that smashed into the moon billions of years ago.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 14 July 2026
  • The 'why' behind airline safety rules Local Greek media reported that a piece of the engine had broken off and that debris smashed the window, quickly decompressing the cabin, which led to part of Karović's body being sucked out of the window.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 14 July 2026
Definition of smashed
Verb
  • Jude Bellingham scored twice in a two-minute span to give England a 2-0 lead, Mexico rallied, Kane scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty kick and England overcame a Jarell Quansah red card, playing the final 48 minutes a man down.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026
  • Pitching in the rotation spot vacated when Randy Vásquez went on the IL with a right ankle bruise, Márquez overcame a 31-pitch first inning and was able to walk off the mound four innings later pumping his fist after throwing just 51 more.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of overcame

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Cite this Entry

“Wracked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracked. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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