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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 The streets are deserted, the glow of the floodlights on the wreckage fade behind him. — Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 His remains were later recovered from the South Tower's wreckage in the winter of 2002. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 The hard truth was evidenced by his camera’s memory card, later extracted from the wreckage. — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026 He and his colleagues were exposed to toxic debris in the wreckage. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 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
  • Once there, staring at the devastation, there was no denying the reality of death.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
  • That moment came after floodwaters caused the Guadalupe River to rise to historic levels in the early morning hours of Independence Day, bringing death and devastation to Kerr County and the surrounding area.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastation
Noun
  • But there are other kinds of rubble, the dust and debris of anguish and fury.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The rubble of the World Trade Center was still smoldering 25 years ago when New Yorkers went to work creating memorials to the dead.
    — Robert W. Snyder, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 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
  • While images of destruction flooded social media, 68-year-old Chris White, a lifelong resident of Kauai and the owner of a rental home in Poipu, noted that much of the island was spared significant damage.
    — GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Palestinians possess no natural gift for grief and there is nothing beautiful about enduring destruction and death.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • Mercury's rough surface, continually reshaped by debris hurled from impact craters, may have hidden the true extent of the loss, according to the researchers whose findings appear in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • This comes after a partial glacier collapse in the Himalayan mountains unleashed a sudden surge of water, mud, and debris that swept through border crossings, valley communities, and hydropower projects on August 26.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of debris
Noun
  • The late-night wreck was the third partial closure of the busy Sacramento-area freeway Tuesday.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • One of the two suspects ran away, while the other was taken into custody at the scene of the wreck.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of wreck
Noun
  • One way to ensure is to prepare for the amount of havoc the Red Wolves will attempt to generate with a creative defensive scheme.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The rain was incessant and the wind was playing havoc on the almost invisible race course.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • The Strip had been largely obliterated in the war between Hamas and Israel, and most of its two million inhabitants were living in tents or in the ruins; images of human misery had flooded screens around the world.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Three firefighters stand atop a pile of twisted steel and debris, raising an American flag above the ruins of the World Trade Center.
    — Thomas E. Franklin, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruins

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wreck
wreckage
wreckages
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Cite this Entry

“Wreckage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wreckage. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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