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 Last Sunday was a particularly nerve-wracking day for all of us. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2026 Matthew undergoes periodic brain scans, which are a nerve-wracking time for his parents. Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wracking
Verb
  • In the early months of 2022, Russian forces occupied Irpin, destroying roughly 70% of the city.
    Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Tucker Desmond, who pleaded guilty to destroying evidence of other plotters' crimes, was sentenced to probation.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Horned Frogs crushed the Tar Heels 48-14 in last year’s season opener at Chapel Hill, ruining the college coaching debut of six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • So, are invasives ruining the state’s waters, or is the state on the way to becoming the everyman’s Amazon, embraced by the folks who can’t afford the jungle lodge experience?
    Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Andrew Haigh is a master of restraint, a talent that he’s often weaponized against his own creations to beautiful and shattering effect.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Last year’s record-shattering monsoon season is heightening the urgency to invest in climate resilience.
    Angelica Ang, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • An eight-game lead with 25 games left is a virtual lock for Brewers manager Pat Murphy and his wrecking crew, as even optimistic Cubs fans understand.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The previous record-strong El Niño in modern times, in 1982-83, coincided with significant damage across the coastline, wrecking the piers in Santa Monica and Seal Beach.
    Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The country is also recovering from devastating back-to-back earthquakes in June that have so far killed over 6,000 people.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Rescue operations and clean-up crews are still working in the wake of last week’s devastating debris avalanche and floods in Nepal and Tibet.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • At Cordova Villa Elementary, construction includes demolishing the existing administration building and a classroom building.
    Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • By 2022, the former mill was in disrepair, leading the city to purchase the property with the intention of demolishing it.
    Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • This would prevent cyclists from smashing into car doors opened into bike lanes, McDermott said.
    Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Boteli sealed his hat-trick at the Johan Cruyff Arena after charging down the right flank, chopping inside and smashing into the far corner on his left foot.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • This design continually reflects the laser inside the stream via total internal reflection, overcoming the need for focal-point or Rayleigh-length adjustments.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Augusto, Marrero, Hernández and countless others have little choice but to figure things out which, in Cuban parlance, means overcoming whatever obstacle is placed in their way.
    Juan Carlos López, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracking. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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