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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Recent Examples of wracking
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
These sequences of process and investigation are captured with all the verve and nerve-wracking tension of a slick spy thriller, aided by a detailed, thundering soundscape sure to leave you on edge.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Feb. 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
The woman who recorded the nerve-wracking trip said, at times, both of the driver's hands were off the wheel.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
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
These sequences of process and investigation are captured with all the verve and nerve-wracking tension of a slick spy thriller, aided by a detailed, thundering soundscape sure to leave you on edge.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Feb. 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
The woman who recorded the nerve-wracking trip said, at times, both of the driver's hands were off the wheel.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wracking
Verb
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It was compounded when a West Contra Costa storage unit caught fire, destroying Alvin’s belongings, their mother testified.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
-
Here's how to identify black spot and prevent it from ruining your roses.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Those strikes heavily damaged the bases, burying most tunnel entrances under mountains of debris and shattering roads leading to the sites.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
As the pattern settled in, summer heat finally arrived across the northern tier, shattering nearly 50 records, with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average, Fox Weather reported.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Junk yards and auto wrecking services will soon be paying $354 instead of $273 for their new license, and secondhand dealers will see reduced fees — paying $354 instead of $480.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
-
Captiva Though the recovery isn’t totally complete, Captiva is bouncing back from both 2022’s devastating Hurricane Ian and the rough 2024 hurricane season.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The plan involves demolishing the building and constructing a near-replica on the same Beatties Ford Road footprint.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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The attack happened in an area where security forces are usually stationed, badly damaging nearby buildings and smashing more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road, according to witnesses and images circulating on social media.—
Abdul Sattar,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
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One lawmaker Lackey’s unofficial bill title wasn’t lost upon was Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Jefferson Park, a lawmaker who has spoken publicly about overcoming systemic barriers in his own life as a Black man and has centered his political career largely on criminal justice reform.—
Andrew Graham
May 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
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That’s because the Phillies (29-27) stand as a serious threat in the wild-card races, and overcoming the Dodgers in the West race just isn’t realistic.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracking. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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