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 Egyptian Railway Authority said emergency teams and cranes were dispatched to the scene to clear the wreckage and restore train services to their normal schedule as soon as possible. — Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026 The majority of the wreckage was contained, submerged in about 5 feet of water, while the a landing gear and propellers were found embedded in the bottom of the lake, the NTSB report said. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026 On Tuesday, Baptist pastor Vladyslav Makhovskyi had joined the search for survivors in the wreckage of the school and underground shelter where villagers from Komyshuvakha had sought safety. — ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026 As Paladin drives off, contract finally fulfilled, an estate guard with a rocket launcher blows his murder-van into flaming wreckage. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 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
  • The devastation wreaked on the Republican Party last week was simply astounding, with their candidates losing in just about every place and every spot up and down ballot.
    — Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
  • And as Japan rebuilds from both wartime devastation and from Godzilla’s rampage through various cities, including Tokyo, a new threat arrives from outer space—and this one can fly.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of devastation
Noun
  • Ivan Fedorov, co-chair of the regional defense council, said 12 bodies pulled from the rubble had been identified so far.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The latest Russian aerial barrage underscored the scale of the rebuilding task, as did the ongoing search for people missing beneath rubble after a deadly airstrike in southern Ukraine on Monday.
    — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 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
  • Today on the show, Planet Money goes inside the destruction lab to see that high octane experimentation in action and to learn about how the insurance industry has been quietly shaping the world around us for over a century.
    — Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The use of new production technologies also requires a degree of creative destruction that Beijing’s own industrial policy interventions have inhibited.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • Always dispose of infected plant debris, but consider leaving some non-diseased leaves for bees and butterflies.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 6 Nov. 2026
  • For example, a floor-only cleaning session may be appropriate for routine debris removal, while full-coverage cleaning can be selected when walls, slopes and the waterline also require attention.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of debris
Noun
  • The Porter County Sheriff’s Department is investigating two fatal wrecks over the weekend.
    — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • High-schooler Makoto (Kawashima) lives with her mother, Emi (Akiko Kikuchi) — who is now an emotional wreck — while her father (Yoichiro Saito) has moved out, lost his office job, and now scrapes together a living as a delivery driver.
    — James Marsh, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of wreck
Noun
  • Last year, business leaders reached out to the mayor’s team to express their fears that the City Council’s plan to raise the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers to $30 per hour would wreak financial havoc on the city’s hospitality industry.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the war has wreaked global havoc with no end in sight.
    — S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of havoc
Noun
  • Not far from the ruins sat the 1990 seawall, the rock embankment that protects some of Tangier.
    — John Anglim, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Pre-Columbian ruins are always near, reachable by boat, trek, and car, on excursions organized by the hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 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 13 Nov. 2026.

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