wracking

verb

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

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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 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
  1. destroying
  2. ruining
  3. shattering
  4. wrecking
  5. devastating
  6. demolishing
  7. smashing
  8. overcoming
Verb
  • Keeping your lawn and garden well-maintained can also help reduce grasshopper populations by destroying their breeding habitat.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 21 July 2026
  • But the Pentagon’s youthful set of avid desk-warriors forget that big hurricanes and regional weather events regularly disrupt waterfront facilities on the Gulf and East coasts, destroying worker housing and permanently peeling away shipbuilders.
    — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • Floyd is no longer attracted to his wife, has trouble connecting with his teen-age stepson, and owes tens of thousands in taxes—a set of stressors that are ruining his health.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
  • Plus, one of the biggest things that holds people back from DIY is a fear of ruining their home, but that’s virtually impossible with peel-and-stick wallpaper.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 13 July 2026
Definition of ruining
Verb
  • Successive heat waves that hit unusually early and hard this year, baking Europe with record-shattering high temperatures, have turned forests and scrublands into tinderboxes.
    — Mark Carlson, Fortune, 25 July 2026
  • Schroeder mentioned another woman, 80, now an EVSA member, who was run down by an e-biker on April 16, 2024, shattering her leg, at the same location Jean was struck.
    — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
Definition of shattering
Verb
  • 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
  • Most of the peril comes with dangerous ship-wrecking moments, including one that implies the death of Moana's relative, while our heroine herself almost drowns on her first voyage from land.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 July 2026
Definition of wrecking
Verb
  • Pape Sarr was on the pitch for Senegal’s devastating extra-time defeat by Belgium at that same stage, but joins Bergvall as a Spurs player who had little impact on a tournament where his career — and market value — could really have used a jolt.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Following a succession of heat waves that started even before the summer, wildfires have raged across France in recent weeks, devastating large swaths of land amid record temperatures and dry weather.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • Western Newspaper Union Building Plans filed with the city show that the project would include demolishing and replacing an existing building on the site.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • Concerns over demolishing the Excelsior Club The decision to demolish has sparked tension with local preservationists and historians.
    — Claire Harutunian, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026
Definition of demolishing
Verb
  • On the contrary, Atlanta United, which started play in 2017, got the All-Star Game in its second year after smashing several attendance records.
    — Kamran Nia July 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
  • Worse still, scientists say orcas may be smashing into much smaller sunfish for fun.
    — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 23 July 2026
Definition of smashing
Verb
  • The biggest event in the sporting calendar drew to a close at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as Spain were crowned world champions for the second time, overcoming Argentina in one of the most dominant finals in recent memory.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Emotional intelligence, particularly self-awareness, is crucial to overcoming it.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of overcoming

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Cite this Entry

“Wracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracking. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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