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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 wracking Despite a nerve-wracking 1-0 start (before Bellingham knocked in a deuce), Jagger was seen looking grim and pacing around the VIP box. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 As the casting process heats up to find a new 007, Famke Janssen, who starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in 1995’s GoldenEye, has recalled her nerve-wracking audition to land the part as Xenia Onatopp in the iconic James Bond franchise. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 28 June 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wracking
Verb
  • The show was filmed across Northern Ireland, and the weather proved to be brutal, with the rain constantly destroying sets that had to be rebuilt.
    Matt Minton, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Ukrainian defenders repelled the attack and posted video footage of their kamikaze drone strikes destroying at least seven T-72B3A tanks, including some that carried the Arena-M system, according to Euromaidan Press.
    Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This allegedly caused the cancellation of school recesses, and also ruining weddings and funerals.
    Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Tibbetts wants fans to blame outside agitators for ruining the league's momentum.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In 2018 a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 fan blade snapped, shattering a window and sucking a woman’s head and torso outside of the plane.
    Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Ace protected the three deputies from Bowers but was shot in his left front leg, shattering the bone and tearing an artery that caused massive blood loss.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Come for the timeliness, stay for Cap wrecking a bunch of guys in an elevator.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Long-distance backpacking is having a moment, and readers planning a first thru-hike want to know how to prepare without wrecking their body, their gear budget or their trip.
    Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • Major hurricanes can cause wind damage ranging from devastating to catastrophic and significant loss of life from their winds alone.
    Karina Zaiets, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Lionel Messi has donated €80,000 ($92,200) to the reconstruction efforts of Madrid’s Sierra Oeste region following devastating wildfires in the area.
    Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Trump has faced widespread criticism for demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make room for the grand ballroom design.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Despite being identified decades ago, the exact trigger of the joint-demolishing condition is still unclear.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • This year, conditions including a record-smashing March heat wave led to a surge in California’s native Culex mosquitoes, the transmitters of West Nile virus.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Democratic turnout in these races is smashing through records — not always to the benefit of the left.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Despite ongoing hurdles around interconnection queues and grid congestion, the scale of deployment shows developers are overcoming technical and regulatory barriers to support rising electricity demand from data centers and electrification.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Lorne Balfe From overcoming dyslexia with early synths to navigating AI, remote recording, and spatial audio, the blockbuster composer reveals how technology shapes his scores.
    Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracking. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on wracking

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster