wracking

present participle of wrack
as in destroying
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 wracking Gordon Ramsay, the guest Evans calls the most nerve-wracking booking of his career, has become a friend. Clayton Davis, Variety, 18 June 2026 Bring Her Back unravels its disturbing secrets with nerve-wracking dread, relying more on ominous atmosphere than cheap jump scares. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026 But the job insecurity that’s wracking the wider workplace can effectively kill that sense of discovery. Claire Zillman, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026 Rory McIlroy’s second consecutive Masters victory was a nerve-wracking affair — and now there’s data to prove it. Ryan Brennan april 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026 Then came the nerve-wracking part — bringing it to Jackson himself. Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026 The end of this semester at Morehouse College could be a nerve-wracking time for Aaron Fields. Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 21 Mar. 2026 The RedHawks ultimately held on for a nerve-wracking 110-108 overtime victory to improve to 31-0 and become the 21st team to finish the regular season undefeated. Brendan Marks, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026 In Southern California, Hollywood Burbank and Van Nuys Airports are well known to pilots for their high volume of mixed airplane and helicopter traffic, creating a complex and nerve-wracking operating environment. Marc Scribner, Oc Register, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wracking
Verb
  • Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
    Kori McNair, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • The company was saving a few bucks but ruining its product.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 25 June 2026
  • Adidas’s everyday sneakers can handle 20,000 steps without ruining an outfit, perfectly balancing cool with comfy.
    Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has minted thousands of new millionaires, unleashing a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
    Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • The record-shattering heat waves in Europe last week and in the western US in March are two recent examples.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • As many little heartbeats as possible, just running around, wrecking stuff in the house.
    Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
  • What is in tandem here is the exuberantly generative possibility of life itself (SCOBY, water) alongside the very synthetic polymers that are literally wrecking life on an individual and systemic level.
    Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • Loss of this support, which is said to cover 25% of the center’s operating costs, would have been devastating both financially and reputationally.
    Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2026
  • These giant invasive snakes are devastating the Everglades ecosystem by eating through the native food web without any natural predators to keep them in check.
    Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Digital Realty already began demolishing the inside of the building, so Gray believed the agreement was set.
    Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 27 June 2026
  • But everyday people expressed their political outrage time and again, throwing rocks at and demolishing the houses of government officials, torching the king’s ships and forts and, eventually, marching to battle.
    Robert Parkinson, The Conversation, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Powell is accused of smashing the mug over the victim's head.
    Jennifer Borrasso, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week at the height of its record-smashing heat wave, the country's public health agency said Sunday, as the head of the World Health Organization warned that Europe is now the fastest-warming continent and needs to do more to protect its citizens.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
Verb
  • Forward-looking firms are overcoming this by deploying advanced technical strategies.
    Ali Hoss, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Normal matter can’t be stuffed into a space tiny and dense enough without overcoming a huge outward pressure.
    Stephen DiKerby, The Conversation, 29 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracking. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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