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 Through more than a dozen conversations with the cast and writers, Deadline has weaved together an oral history of the series from those nerve-wracking early days on Season 1 to the bittersweet end of production in December 2025. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026 The dam to my grief burst into loud, gut-wrenching sobs, wracking my body and crushing my soul. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 Adding spice to the stew are a coveted Botticelli painting, a lavish wedding, and some nerve-wracking action, especially in an episode mostly set in the forest. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wracking
Verb
  • It was defined in a United Nations Convention, adopted in the wake of the Holocaust, as acts that are committed with the intention of destroying — in whole or in part — a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Can the product be restored without destroying what still works?
    — Christopher Kiggins, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Seaver also allegedly threatened to start a podcast dedicated to ruining Parton’s image unless he was paid.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Even if your appliance feels cool to the touch, warm air rises and can make the top slightly warmer, slowly cooking the wine and ruining the flavor.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • But recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s oil refineries have led to widespread fuel shortages, shattering the illusion that the consequences of the conflict are far removed from ordinary Russians.
    — Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • My oven is never going to get that same shattering all-over crunch.
    — Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Here’s how the shift happened, what the ingredient actually does below the neck and how to fold it into a routine without wrecking your skin barrier.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The general public learned of the demolition plan only when the wrecking equipment began work nearly three months later.
    — Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The region has already been saturated by heavy rain over the past months, and regions like New Mexico and Grand Canyon were hit by devastating floods earlier this month.
    — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Military force has imposed enormous costs on both Hamas and Iran, devastating their military facilities and killing their commanders.
    — NADIA SCHADLOW, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • This is not the first time a coach in LAUSD has gotten into trouble trying to improve a facility, with the district issuing disciplinary action and demolishing the improvement because it was not authorized.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • On Thursday, the judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days' notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • But of the leaders of those three mega-bands, perhaps the most mysterious remains Pete Townshend, The Who’s songwriter and enigmatic eminence, thrashing chords and smashing guitars while Roger Daltrey handled lead vocals.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2026
  • How would Flock stop someone from smashing a car window in the dead of night on a street where no camera is watching?
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That included overcoming injuries to Jose Ramirez, Angel Martínez and rookie Chase DeLauter.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The researchers found that the material could undergo helicity-independent magnetization reversal, overcoming a major constraint of earlier approaches.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wracking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wracking. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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