as in inflicted
to cause to suffer punishment or vengeance for
wreaked their vengeance on those they considered enemies
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Recent Examples of wreaked
The 1935 storm wreaked massive devastation and wiped out the Florida Keys.
—
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2025
Once during tax time to prepare for open-toe season, and again when fall begins to recover from the damage open-toe season has wreaked — so this weekend would be a perfect time!
—Lauren Silbert, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Two years later, a Chicago judge convicted Smollett on felony disorderly conduct and false police reports charges, and the court of public opinion wreaked additional havoc on his reputation.
—Alyssa Davis, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
—USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
The series was triggered by a series of online images which motivated Krecké’s six year mission to research obsessively and merge digital sleuthing with emotional introspection to understand the personal and collective trauma behind the destruction wreaked through war.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The highway elevation is part of a massive state-federal project, approved by Congress in 2000 with bipartisan support, that aims to undo damages wreaked upon these wetlands.
—Rebecca Blackwell, Sun Sentinel, 19 Dec. 2024
Those sanctions wreaked such havoc on your country's economy that millions of Venezuelans migrated out.
—Christopher Intagliata, NPR, 29 Nov. 2024
Californians have the opportunity to vote on a key ballot initiative, Proposition 36, that intends to rein in the chaos progressive policies have wreaked on our criminal justice system.
—Diane Dixon, Orange County Register, 15 Oct. 2024
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2025
Once during tax time to prepare for open-toe season, and again when fall begins to recover from the damage open-toe season has wreaked — so this weekend would be a perfect time!
—Lauren Silbert, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Two years later, a Chicago judge convicted Smollett on felony disorderly conduct and false police reports charges, and the court of public opinion wreaked additional havoc on his reputation.
—Alyssa Davis, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
—USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
The series was triggered by a series of online images which motivated Krecké’s six year mission to research obsessively and merge digital sleuthing with emotional introspection to understand the personal and collective trauma behind the destruction wreaked through war.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The highway elevation is part of a massive state-federal project, approved by Congress in 2000 with bipartisan support, that aims to undo damages wreaked upon these wetlands.
—Rebecca Blackwell, Sun Sentinel, 19 Dec. 2024
Those sanctions wreaked such havoc on your country's economy that millions of Venezuelans migrated out.
—Christopher Intagliata, NPR, 29 Nov. 2024
Californians have the opportunity to vote on a key ballot initiative, Proposition 36, that intends to rein in the chaos progressive policies have wreaked on our criminal justice system.
—Diane Dixon, Orange County Register, 15 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreaked
Verb
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The war has also inflicted significant damage on Hamas’ supplies of its heaviest weapons and its weapons manufacturing capabilities, as well as on its senior leadership.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
21 Oct. 2025
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But the most important part of the story left unseen in the series is the gut-wrenching violence Gacy inflicted on his victims, both those who died and the few who survived.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Though the Maldives is the first country to enact such a ban, similar proposals have been debated – and nearly imposed – in other parts of the world.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Pentagon recently imposed the most stringent access restrictions of the term, requiring that all reporters covering the Defense Department in person sign a restrictive press policy prohibiting them from soliciting any information the department has not authorized for release.—
Scott Nover,
Arkansas Online,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wreaked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreaked. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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