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

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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
Verb
  • After flying toward a naval target over the Black Sea, the aircraft launched one of the supersonic missiles from a stand-off distance exceeding 120 kilometers, successfully destroying its target.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
  • Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators are probing a destructive fire that ripped through a Sun Valley strip mall early Sunday morning, destroying a beloved family-run market.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • Clothes moths are indoor pests notorious for ruining the best threads in any closet.
    Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • SoCal’s housing market growth SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has unleashed a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • The blaze remained confined to the wrecking yard property, despite briefly jumping a fence and igniting vegetation to the west.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • Rescue efforts were still underway nearly two weeks after devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern coast less than a minute apart on June 24, trapping hundreds beneath rubble.
    Pat Mueller, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • The co-writer thing was a total disaster, devastating on every level.
    Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Beyond the environmental costs, demolishing and hauling away the remnants of huge buildings is especially expensive in dense cities such as New York.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • This project, which is under review by the city, proposes demolishing the long-defunct Kmart building and bringing residences, shops and a new Publix to the plaza.
    Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • Stacking layers like a gourmet burger is the secret behind smashing efficiency and stability records.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
  • Djokovic became so frustrated that he was given a code violation warning for smashing a racket, before eventually hauling himself over the line.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Verb
  • England had seen off Italy on the Tuesday, with Spain overcoming Germany on the Wednesday.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Exhibited for the first time outside of Sarajevo, the churning Socialist Realist homage invokes Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People in figuring partisans heroically overcoming their would-be Nazi aggressors.
    Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 10 July 2026

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“Wracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracking. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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