wreckage

noun

ˈre-kij How to pronounce wreckage (audio)
Definition of wreckagenext
1
as in devastation
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless the wreckage of those ancient statues represents a great loss to the art world

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubble
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed the wreckage of the cathedral was kept as a memorial and as a reminder of war's terrible cost

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in wrecking
the destruction or loss of a ship debris floated ashore for weeks after the wreckage

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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 wreckage Search teams later found fragmented wreckage from the twin-engine plane, also known as a Cessna Conquest. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 The lack of wreckage has hampered efforts to determine the cause of the sinking and where to focus search operations, authorities said. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 The wreckage of the Piper 30A was hoisted from the water on Sunday morning. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026 The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey held the wreckage from the towers and Oak Lawn wrote a proposal to use some of the beams, Clark said. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wreckage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wreckage
  1. devastation
  2. rubble
  3. wrecking
  4. destruction
  5. debris
  6. wreck
  7. havoc
  8. ruins
Noun
  • For France, long accustomed to wildfires along arid stretches of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the devastation in Le Porge has yielded rare consensus that its fire safety system is not up to fighting mega-fires brought on by climate change.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Hunter said it’s been sad to see photos of the devastation wrought by the fire.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastation
Noun
  • This seven-year-old girl pulled from the rubble after rescue workers heard her cries.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Other than that, he’s never seemed confident that the future will turn out all right, although he’s kept on working out his worries onscreen, forever hunting for flakes of hope in the rubble.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of rubble
Noun
  • At least, there was a lot less wrecking.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.
    — The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Definition of wrecking
Noun
  • The deadly wall of water that descended from the mountains on the border between Nepal and Tibet caused destruction at least 62 miles downriver from the border in Nepal, an ABC News analysis of verified video and satellite images shows.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Trump has also promoted the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities and navy, and the reduction in missile and drone capabilities, as measures of success.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • Chinese surveillance footage from the Tibetan side of the border shows a huge wall of mud and debris crashing over buildings and engulfing roads as people desperately try to flee the torrent.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
  • An ice and rock avalanche from a high-altitude glacier may have triggered the flooding, with a large volume of debris entering the Lende Khola tributary, researchers have said in a preliminary assessment.
    — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of debris
Noun
  • While crews were at the scene, a separate crash occurred on the eastbound side of the highway when a driver slowed down to look at the wreck, according to Peck.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The wreck will also serve as a casual amphitheater for performances and watching the sunset.
    — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of wreck
Noun
  • Although not a direct hit, Lala dumped nearly 3 feet of rain on the Big Island, bringing widespread havoc.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In the movie, a group of teens accidentally release a bunch of monsters from Stine’s book collection, creating complete havoc and plenty of great family-friendly frights.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • The mountains, castles, and ruins of Ashina enable a unique traversal system.
    — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The tornado struck Pomas, a village of about 1,000 people, on Monday and rescue teams were continuing their search through ruins on Tuesday, though no people were immediately reported missing.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruins

Browse Nearby Words

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wreckage
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Cite this Entry

“Wreckage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreckage. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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